Sarah Elizabeth Charles’ Liberating the Bird project is a song cycle that infuses the rich poetry of Maya Angelou with melody, rhythm and harmony. Charles started writing songs for this project in 2016 and has slowly been developing it with her duo partner, Jordan Peters on guitar ever since. Maya Angelou’s writing, performing and identity as a prolific artist has had an enormous influence on Charles and this performance will pay homage to Angelou’s enormous artistic contributions. It will also be the world premiere of the music’s next phase which includes voice, guitar, percussion and string quartet arrangements written by the incomparable Juliette M. Jones & Monique Brooks Roberts.

Charles and Jones began partnering to develop these arrangements in the spring of 2024 with the support of Joe’s Pub, New York Voices and the New York State Council on the Arts. The musical landscape they are tapping into is charged with soul, folk, improvisation and jazz and grounded in honoring Angelou’s fruitful legacy.

Liberating the Bird is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

Liberating the Bird is a Joe's Pub New York Voices Commission.

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Photo Credit: Shervin Lainez