Last Supper at Uncle Tom’s Cabin / The Promised Land

Hemphill composed the music for the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company performance “Last Supper at Uncle Tom’s Cabin / The Promised Land,” which premiered at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in November, 1990. The music was performed by a saxophone sextet, and included several pre-existing compositions, as well as pieces that would go on to be performed individually in concert by the Julius Hemphill Sextet. The Julius Hemphill Papers has extensive and substantial material related to this performance, including scores in Hemphill’s hand from various stages in the compositional process, as well as individual musicians’ parts used in performance.

Performance Order

“Last Supper at Uncle Tom’s Cabin / The Promised Land” was divided into four parts, with an intermission between the second and third. The individual musical movements within these parts, as assembled by Marty Ehrlich, are as follows:

Overture: Otis’ Groove.

Part One. The Cabin
Cabin Opener
Harry
Liza – Tearful Farewell
George
Slave Dance
Chloe
Tom
Men’s Chase / Haley’s Dance
Tom’s Goodbye
Boat Music
Slave’s Walk
Lucy
Slave’s Walk (reprise)
St. Clair Family
Eva and Tom
Dixie Dance
Death of Eva
Slave Walk (reprise)
Auction (ad lib.)
Tom’s Whipping
Ghosts (ad lib.)
Death of Eva (reprise)
Retrograde
Fanfare for Lincoln

Part Two. Eliza on the Ice
Knee Play
Eliza on the Ice
Ain’t I A Woman
Elevator Music
Betsy
Prayer Music
End of Betsy
Fanfare for Maya
End of Betsy (reprise)
Soft Shoe Improv
Betsy (reprise)
Men’s Chase Music (reprise)
Elevator Music
Betsy: Eliza on Ice
A-Maya
Prayer Music