Introduction
Adolphus Hailstork’s Songs of Love and Justice (1992) sets the words of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
This performance, used with the generous permission of Dr. Toppin and Dr. Hailstork, was recorded with the Dvořák Symphony Orchestra Prague under the baton of Julius P. Williams. The performance only exists in as an audio recording; the audio recording is accompanied by images as well as the texts set by the composer.
Adolphus Hailstork: "Songs of Love and Justice"
Louise Toppin, soprano | Dvořák Symphony Orchestra Prague | Julius P. Williams, conductor
Includes a special introduction by Louise Toppin
Text of "Songs of Love and Justice"
Authorship: Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
1. Justice
When evil men plot, Good men must plan.
When evil men burn and bomb,
Good men must build and bind.
When evil men shout ugly words of hatred
Good men must commit themselves to the glories of love.
When evil men would seek to perpetuate an unjust status quo,
Good men must seek to bring into being a real order of justice,
An order of justice.
Justice!
2. Difficulties
It is difficult to like some people.
Like is sentimental.
It is difficult to like someone bombing your home,
It is difficult to like somebody threat’ning your children!
It is so difficult,
so difficult to like some people
difficult to like some people.
Like is sentimental.
But Jesus says: “Love them”
But Jesus says: “Love, love them,”
For love is greater than like.
From “Loving Your Enemies”, a sermon delivered at the Detroit Council of Churches’ Noon Lenten Services, March 7, 1961.
3. Decisions
Ev’ry man must decide
Whether he will walk in the light.
Ev’ry man must decide
Whether he will walk, walk in the light
Of creative altruism or the darkness of destructive selfishness.
This is the judgement.
Life’s most persistent and urgent question.
What are you doing?
What you are doing for others? Ev’ry man must decide.
What are you doing?
4. Love
Love is the only force
Love is the only force capable of
transforming an enemy into a friend.
Love, love, love.
Image/Photo credits:
- The Contribution of the Negro to Democracy in America; Charles White, 1943; Mural; Hampton University, Hampton, Virginia, USA
- Dr. Martin Luther King giving his “I Have a Dream” speech during the March on Washington in Washington, D.C., on 28 August 1963. (National Archives and Records Administration, cataloged under the National Archives Identifier (NAID) 542069. Public Domain)
- President Lyndon B. Johnson meets with Civil Rights leaders Martin Luther King, Jr., Whitney Young, James Farmer (Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum. Image Serial Number: W425-21. Public Domain.)
- President Lyndon B. Johnson meets with Martin Luther King, Jr. at the signing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum. Image Serial Number: A1030-17a. Public Domain,)
- President Lyndon B. Johnson and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. meet at the White House, 1966 (Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum. Image Serial Number: A2133-10. Public Domain)
Meet the Artists
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