cheryl lynne skinner: Music

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This work was inspired by the poem “Children of the Poor” by Pulitzer Prize poet Gwendolyn Brooks. Eme’s Ballet Suite was first performed in 1997 at the Harold Washington Library as part of the Orpheus Classical Music Series as the “Suite for the Children of the Poor” for flute and piano. It is part of a project entitled “Afrocentricity” which features music inspired by some of America’s finest poets.

1. Melancholy Waltz
2. Minuet
3. Prayer for the Innocent
4. To Fight & Fiddle
5. March of the Spirits of Death

Notes from the Composer…

One of the things I love about the creative process is that when I totally free my mind and travel to “the zone” I never know the destination of my muse.

After reading the poem (many times with a dictionary at hand) “Children of the Poor” by Gwendolyn Brooks I was inspired to compose “Eme’s Ballet Suite”, a children’s ballet. After contemplating the poem my muse transported me to a different space and time to a vision of a little girl pretending to be a ballerina dancing beautifully until suddenly she looks down and realizes to her dismay her clothes were tattered and torn. She became melancholy because reality for children of the poor is not so kind. The “Melancholy Waltz” is set in motion. For a moment she realized she might not ever see a ballet not to mention become a ballerina. But as we know children are resilient and she finds inspiration in the melody of her music box, the “Minuet”. The little girl’s dream is momentarily revived because the seed of her desire is planted so deeply. Fortunately, Eme was nurtured through love. From birth she had been taught that with God all things are possible. Eme did what she knew. Eme prayed---the “Prayer for the Innocent”. After this peaceful interlude, the battle of the mind begins “But Eme finds resolve and decides to fight for the life her dream. She decides “To Fight and Fiddle”. Armed with her pals, the love trilogy---Faith, Hope & Love Eme prepares for the last confrontation. They marched to the battlefield to the beat of the drum to conquer the Spirits of Death---Despair, Doom and Gloom. The battle commenses. Eme could not allow them to destroy her dream. But she was armored with Love and Love never fails. After destroying her enemies Eme was free to dream again. She begins to dance with exhurberance to the original theme the “Melancholy Waltz” but this time the dance ends on a positive note.

Ms. Brook’s poem Children of the Poor captured the essence of the war on poverty and it’s effect on our children. Today too many become casualties of war. It is a slow death of the spirit to feel you are not living your life to it’s full potential because of seeming circumstances. Eme is an African name meaning “precious”. Eme’s Ballet Suite was named after a nurse at the Cook County Hospital in Chicago, IL. I do not have permission to publish the poem on the web site but I am sure you can find it at your local library.

© Copyright 1997 by Cheryl Skinner.