Thank you for your interest in the John Henry Commission. This commissioning consortium will fund a new, three movement work by composer Shanyse Strickland for Tenor and Bass Trombone with mixed string ensemble and percussion, approximately 6:30 in duration. Accompanying strings and percussion may include bass, cello, viola, violin, guitar, banjo, and cajon with silver spoons. The work will be premiered by the lead commissioner, Clayton Heath, at several locations in 2025. A piano reduction accompaniment will also be available.
Strickland has a unique musical voice, incorporating elements of rhythm-and-blues, jazz, and other genres into her works. She is freelancing, composing and arranging for artists like Roberta Flack, and recording track work for artists around the country and has been the “it” horn player for celebrities like tapping dancing legend, Savion Glover and Black Thought of The Roots, where she stands out with her classical background mixed with improv.
Her compositions have been premiered by numerous groups including the Lantana Trio.
John Henry remains an enduring icon of Appalachian and Southern folklore, representing the confluence of the post-bellum South and the Westward expansion of the industrial revolution. A mythical figure, his identity has evolved with hundreds of iterations on the ballad of his life, including the version by David Holt that I grew up listening to.
As a symbol of progress and those left behind, Henry’s tale and its transmission mirrors the serpentine journey of the very rails he tied down, connecting distinct communities across the landscape. This composition seeks to acknowledge traditions from the communities who have sustained Henry’s tale while breathing new life into his legend through Strickland’s unique voice.
To learn more about John Henry and his storytelling, please visit my blog.
(Artwork by David LaFleur provided by the Smithsonian National Postal Museum)
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