HARLEM VOICES© - THE MUSICAL
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Welcome to Harlem Voices© - The Musical

Harlem Voices© is a musical by Clovice A. Lewis, Jr., that is set in the 1920s. Harlem Voices© explores present-day issues of racism, LGBTQ issues, inept leadership, African-American military service in WWI, and racial profiling (among many other issues). It is about a brilliant young black vocalist who was traumatized by the Rosewood, FL massacre of her family members by the KKK. She is conflicted by falling in love with a white patron of the racially segregated club where she works in Harlem called the Black Jay Club.

Harlem Voices© is a response to the racial tensions in the United States.  This piece feels immediate and important as a way to answer the resurgence of the KKK, white supremacy, and Nazi groups plaguing the United States. 

This is the place to learn everything about Harlem Voices©!

If you are a professional musician or theater producer and are interested in learning and recording songs or staging Harlem Voices© I welcome your inquiries! The button below will take you to a password-protected site where the book, scores, recordings, and parts are available for download. Please contact me if you need the password for access.
For Professionals Only

NEW!! The Harlem Voices© Training Project

PictureClovice Lewis, creator of Harlem Voices©, talks about his music.
The Harlem Voices© Training Project (HVTP) is an exciting new program that teaches about racism and how to counter oppression using a transformative and embodied approach. The vehicle for instruction is the Harlem Voices© musical, which offers rich and varied ways to engage the subject; through listening to songs, performing them, reading the book, and enacting the play.

Because the Harlem Voices© musical offers such fertile ground for experiential and transformative learning, the HTVP is composed of several components that interact with, and enhance, each other:
  • Workshops
  • Seminars
  • Performance Groups
  • Facilitator Training
Click here for a comprehensive explanation of the HVTP and how your organization can obtain the training.

Clovice Lewis Introduces Harlem Voices© to the BFUU

This is the introduction to Harlem Voices© that I did at the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists (BFUU) on February 23, 2020. The devoted their service that morning to the music of liberation by African Americans. They were kind enough to feature selections from my musical Harlem Voices© that was completed in August of 2019. Members of their choir (under the direction of Dr. Susan Mashiyama) and special guest musicians performed the selections. I am grateful to the many people at the BFUU congregation who so enthusiastically embraced my music. I am truly honored and humbled by their deep commitment to bringing Harlem Voices© to life.

Listen to a Radio Show Featuring Clovice Lewis Talking about Harlem Voices©

Clovice was featured on the Word Weavers show on the local public station KPFZ (88.1) on December 31, 2017. Carolyn Hawley conducted the interview, which covered a broad range of topics about Harlem Voices© and the historical events that it addresses. Clovice described the inspiration that caused him to create the musical. Musical selections from the piece were also played during the interview.

The Story

This movie is a "Trailer" that describes the story of Harlem Voices©.
Click here to read a detailed Outline of the story.

The Characters

David Klein -  grandson of Samuel and narrator of the story
Janet “Belle” Carter - lead singer at the Black Jay Club, Evan's sister
Evan Carter - WWI vet from Rosewood, FL, Janet’s brother
Andrés Fontenot - socialist WWI vet from Georgia, “passing” as a white French man
Rose Carter - sister of Belle and Evan, who is killed in Rosewood attack
Agnes Halpert - Belle and Evan's aunt, sister of their father
Samuel Klein - socialist bookkeeper and MC at the Black Jay Club
Maury Kempler - gangster owner of the Black Jay Club
Jack “Boot” O'Reilly - racist manager of the Black Jay Club
Billy “Kid” Anderson - young stage hand at the Black Jay Club
Susan Wright - dancer at the Black Jay Club
Maurice Siwel - music director at the Black Jay Club
Henry Parker - friend to Andrés and Samuel
Street Cop 1 - pulls Billy over for Jay Walking
Street Cop 2 - kills Billy Anderson
Raiding Cop - arrests Andrés at a Black Jay Club raid

Making of the Trailer - 3D Modeling Magic

Harlem Voices© is a musical that will require a fair bit of stage magic to pull off. That said, I must admit that I have nothing but admiration for the people who do stage productions. I needed a way to visualize the stage in all of the scenes. I also needed to create images to illustrate the "Trailer" movie I created. The best way to do that was with a lot of 3D modeling using Blender™. 
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A scene from the trailer modeled in Blender™.
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A screenshot of Belle singing in the Black Jay Club using  Blender™ open source software.

The History Behind Harlem Voices©

Although it is a completely original fictional work set in the 1920s, Harlem Voices© is based on historical facts. Harlem Voices© covers the following issues:
  • Racism
  • The KKK
  • Organized Crime
  • Multiracial Dating
  • LGBTQ Issues
  • African American Military Service in WWI
  • Destruction of Roseville in 1923 by the KKK
  • Police Brutality
  • Pathological, Inept Leadership
  • 1920’s Sensibilities
  • Music and Mass Media in the 1920-1930’s

The Music of Harlem Voices

Harlem Voices©was first conceived over 20 years ago as a theatrical cantata. It existed in my mind then as a way to describe the modern black experience in a musical manner. I originally wanted it to be used in barbershop competitions.

I put it away in 1990 while I went through a difficult divorce, but it has been brewing in my mind ever since. It wasn't until late June of 2017 that it emerged, fully formed, as a much more extensive musical.

I envision music for Harlem Voices© that is not very closely tied to the jazz sound of the 1920s, although I will incorporate some pieces that will sound as if they come from that era. Instead, I am looking for a more "modern" flavor... and a style that more closely suits my love of ballads and orchestral music.

I also wish to write music that can be played by somewhat smaller ensembles, so there is not a lot of brass or other instruments traditionally used in musicals. Most of the piece is thus orchestrated for:
Flute, Clarinet, Tenor Sax, Trumpet, Drum Set, Piano, Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola, Cello, and Bass.

In fact, one of the characters, Maurice Sewil is basically my alter ego. As the music director of the Black Jay Club, he provides me with an excuse for writing "non-standard" music. This is the description of his character:

"Siwel is the black Composer/Conductor/Arranger/Music director for the BJC. He is primarily a jazz musician who, curiously, insists on incorporating strings into his band. He leans heavily towards ballads, but is also known for composing riotous upbeat jazz. Siwel detests the Cotton Club-like “jungle” sound and refuses to go near it. Among other composers of his time, Siwel is the butt of jokes for using strings instead of more winds and brass instruments.

Undeterred, Siwel consistently churns out new music at an astonishing rate for the hectic performance schedule at the BJC, including beautiful songs that caress Belle’s voice. The “secret sauce”, as he puts it, is the strings because they reinforce Belle’s overtones. He’s got loads of jazz street creds, but strives for a “finer” expression of atonality a la Arnold Schóenberg, whom he is nuts over. He is also nuts over Belle."

"Harlem Voices" © Clovice A. Lewis, Jr. 2017 All Rights Reserved.
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  • Home
  • The Story
    • The Characters
  • The Music
  • HV Training Project
    • World of HV Workshop
    • World of HV Survey
  • Contact
  • Harlem Voices Blog