In the Stacks: Songs from Inside

The Sheridan Libraries in collaboration with the American Prison Writing Archive and the Peabody Institute will present two In the Stacks concerts on consecutive days—in Baltimore and in Washington, D.C.—featuring choral music that honors the individual minds, hearts, and voices of incarcerated writers from today and centuries past. 

At the center of the program is the premiere of Neither Persons nor Property, a commissioned work by composer and Peabody alumnus Elijah Daniel Smith set to texts by Brian D. Fuller, a writer incarcerated in Texas. It will be paired with Luigi Dallapiccola’s Canti di Prigionia (Songs of Imprisonment, 1938–41), a musical protest against rising fascism set to texts by imprisoned writers from different ages.

The works will be performed by the Peabody-based icarus Quartet and NEXT Ensemble under the direction of Peabody artist-in-residence Juliano Aniceto.

A moderated panel discussion will follow each performance and guests will have the opportunity to view related special collections material from the Sheridan Libraries. Both evenings will be live-streamed.

February 13 Panelists

• Chanell Burnette
• Brittany Porter  
• Brad Balliett, moderator

February 14 Concert and Livestream

12:30 - 2:00 p.m.
Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center
555 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20001

To learn more and register, please visit the registration page on the Peabody Institute website. Click here to watch virtually.

Registration

• Registration will open three weeks prior to the performance at 10 a.m.
• Capacity is limited. Up to two tickets per person may be reserved prior to the program.
• Registration is confirmed by email. Please cancel your registration if your plans change so that others may register.
• If the program is sold out, walk-ins will be able to join a standby list on a first-come-first-served basis.
• Unclaimed tickets (regardless of registration) will be released to standby 10 minutes prior to the start of the program. Preregistered guests should arrive early to secure their seats. 
• Most standby patrons are able to be accommodated. 
• If you require a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this event, please email inthestacks@jhu.edu with as much advance notice as possible.

About In the Stacks

The In the Stacks Concert Series at the Johns Hopkins Sheridan Libraries and University Museums offers an informal, dynamic way for audiences to engage with music and performance art. Throughout the year, this concert series activates Baltimore’s iconic George Peabody Library—a glorious space with five tiers of cast-iron balconies that soar up to a latticed spotlight—with art, music, dance, film, drama, and more. Join us for up-close, unforgettable experiences with musicians and performance artists who are thinking outside the box.