The New Colossus

for SATB choir and Piano

Written: In-Progress
Duration: 5'
for SATB choir (with occasional divisi) and piano
Commissioned by Vocalis Chamber Choir
World Premiere: Vocalis Chamber Choir, James Buritt, Music Director and Conductor, “Voices of the Queen City,” Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Buffalo, NY, May 17, 2026
Publisher: Bill Holab Music

PROGRAM NOTe

When considering a text for a choral work that speaks to redefining America as a place grounded in love and acceptance, it is hard not to turn to The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus. The poem, inscribed on a plaque inside the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty, commemorates the statue’s purpose as a symbol of welcome for immigrants to the United States. Reflecting on my own ancestors and the world we live in today, it seems clear to me that all Americans are immigrants, regardless of race, creed, color, or identity. I long for a world in which we affirm our shared humanity not through division, but through diversity, common ideals, and a generosity of spirit.

  • The New Colossus

    Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
    With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
    Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
    A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
    Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
    Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
    Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
    The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

    "Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
    With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
    Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
    The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
    Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
    I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

    – Emma Lazarus
    (In The Public Domain)