Ricky Ian Gordon:  Winter Moon

Ricky Ian Gordon: Winter Moon

NYFOS offers a week of cold-weather songs as we settle into the winter season.  With a text by Langston Hughes, this song depicts a winter moon as a thin crescent, a rationed portion of a moon for a season when resources grow...
John Musto:  Litany

John Musto: Litany

“Litany”, from John Musto’s masterful set of songs Shadow of the Blues is, in my humble but educated opinion, a perfect song.  I actually find it difficult to describe how I feel about this song—it has a profound effect on me every time I hear it. John, who has been...

Damien Sneed: I Dream a World

“I Dream a World” is one of the most beautiful and loving poems by Langston Hughes I have come across. Langston speaks about a dream world where every person is equally as valuable and should be treated with respect. As farfetched as this idea may seem, I believe that...

William Bolcom: Ballad of the landlord

“Ballad of the landlord” is a poem by Langston Hughes. It basically is a dialogue between an African American tenant and a white landlord. It’s interesting to me that Langston doesn’t offer any opinions. He tell’s the story as it happens and the reader/ listener has...
Ricky Ian Gordon:  Luck

Ricky Ian Gordon: Luck

During my rehearsals with Ricky Ian Gordon for our concert on September 18, I noticed that in his home there was a framed poem on top of the door to his studio. I asked him about it, and he expressed to me that it meant a lot to him, and was one of the most...