The Preamble from The Constitution, A Secular Oratorio by Ben Yarmolinsky.
Dedicated to the memory of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
“Our Constitution begins with the words, ‘We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union.’ … I think the genius of our Constitution … is (that) the concept of ‘We the People’ has become ever more inclusive … Now all the once-left-out people are part of our political constituency. We are certainly a more perfect union as a result of that.” -Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Yarmolinsky’s The Constitution, A Secular Oratorio is a setting of major parts of the U.S. Constitution for chorus, soloists, and orchestra. It was premiered at Vertical Player Repertory with piano in 2019 for six sold-out performances Behind the Door, in VPR’s storefront theater in Brooklyn, NY.
Peter Szep, music director and video editor
Judith Barnes, producer and artistic director
Sarah Downs, Ellen Gottlieb, Laura Kolb Araujo, Liz Lang*, Chitra Raghavan, Michelle Trovato*, Lena Wu, soprano
Judith Barnes, Frances Burgos Linares, Linda Collazo*, Twila Ehmcke, Andrew Egbuchiem*, JoAnne Hoffman, Hope Kelly, Aley Kent, Susan Kommel, alto
Rory Boyd, Gordon Reynolds, Byron Singleton*, tenor
Roland Burks*, Blake Burroughs*, Robert Lewis, Richard Mann, Isaac Mann, bass
Felix Jarrar, piano
*Section leaders
PREAMBLE is part of THE VIRTUAL CONSTITUTION, sponsored, in part, by the Greater New York Arts Development Fund of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, administered by Brooklyn Arts Council (BAC).
© Benjamin Yarmolinsky 2019
© Vertical Player Repertory 2020