b'Program NotesEvan Williams(b.1988)The Dream Deferred Composed 2017Drawing from inspirations as diverse as Medieval chant to contemporary pop, the music of composer and conductor Evan Williams explores the thin lines between beauty and disquieting, joy and sorrow, and simple and complex, while often tackling important social and political issues. Originally from the Chicago area, Williams currently resides in Memphis, TN, where he is assistant professor of music and director of instrumental activities at Rhodes College. Williams catalogue contains a broad range of work, from vocal and operatic offerings to instrumental works, along with electronic music. His work has been commissioned and performed by renowned ensembles and soloists worldwide. Composers note:The Dream Deferred was commissioned by the activist orchestra, The Dream Unfinished for their 2017 season Raise Your Hand, which draws attention to the school-to-prison pipeline. The title of the work and its movements are inspired by the Langston Hughes poem Harlem in which he asks, What happens to a dream deferred?The school-to-prison pipeline is a prime example of a dream deferred. Young children of color, especially Black and Latino males, are promised a good education, thus enabling them to succeed in society. Instead, they are often labeled as aggressive, thugs, and super-predators, are subject to disproportionate policing of their communities as their white schoolmates, and receive harsher sentencing as well. Thus the dream of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness is deferred and denied.Throughout the poem, Hughes asks various questions concerning the fate of the dream deferred: does it dry up, or fester like a sore, or crust and sugar over, or does it explode? This angry explosion of frustration and pain begins the work, while the despair of the dried-up dream ends it.princetonsymphony.org/ 13/ princetonfestival.org'