Hands upon the Plow
Composed by: Jocelyn Hagen
Text by: Barbara Saxton
Publisher: jh music
Commissioned: yes Year: 2019
Premiered: yes Year: 2020
Program Notes:
Commissioned by the Peninsula Women’s Chorus as part of the Trailblazers Project
Additional Notes
Vocal Parts: SSA
Instrumentation: piano opt. alto sax
Language: English
Text:
Hands upon the Plow
for Alice Paul (1885-1977)
She likened our Movement
to mosaic tiles—more vibrant
and stronger when linked
by the mortar of women,
our undaunted will.
She placed trembling hands
upon the true plow;
told us not to let go,
to push hard till we reach
the end of each row.
She claimed No New Worlds
without female power—
peace, progress, discovery all grow
in our hearts, our wise voices,
our votes.
Performed at:
2020 New Music for Treble Voices – “Hands upon the Plow”
2020 Fall Virtual Concert – “Hands upon the Plow”
Recorded on:
Women Making Waves (2020) - Hands upon the Plow