for four treble voices, alto flute, bass clarinet, cello, piano

About 60,000 people, including some 24,000 children, sleep in New York’s municipal homeless shelters each night, and thousands more sleep unsheltered on the streets. This diverse population includes people from nearly all walks of life, although the primary cause of homelessness for the majority is the severe shortage of affordable housing.

This opera/song cycle provides a glimpse into four common situations: those of domestic violence survivors, evacuees from damaged buildings, LGBT youth disowned by their families, and the working poor. It is by no means a comprehensive portrayal of the myriad factors that can lead to the loss of a home, but it aims to combat the myth of the homeless as an undifferentiated “type” who cannot be housed.

Watch video from the premiere performance:

Stereotypes about the homeless seem to have convinced many New Yorkers that nothing can be done to ameliorate this problem, when effective measures do exist and have been successful in various cities in the past. Visit www.coaltionforthehomeless.org to learn more.

Please contact Rebekah if you are interested in performing this piece.