1. Quanda Johnson presents
BEYOND THE VEIL
OF THE
SORROW SONGS
in conjunction with
Fulbright Community Leadership Program
Local Halifax talent
Dalhousie University
Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD)

2. PROGRAM
This event is dedicated to Aidan Cromwell.
He is a poet, artist, thinker, and revolutionary using
poetry to transform his life and the lives of all who listen
to his words with compassion, humanity, and an open
heart. He is inspired by liberation heroes of the struggle
and inspires all who seek freedom, forgiveness, and
justice.
I. Lawd, How Come Me Here
“Semper aliquid novi Africam adferre!”
Pliny the Elder (paraphrasing Aristotle)
“Always something new out of Africa!”
II. Nobody Knowsthe Trouble I’ve Seen
“Got one face for Massa to see,
got ‘nother one dat I knows is me!”
Old slave saying
III.My Way’sCloudy
“O Lawd, keep me from sinkin’ down…
My soul wants something that’s new, that’s new.”
Anonymous slave’s prayer
IV. Been a Listenin’
“I ask no paradise on high, with cares on earth
oppressed,
The only heaven for which I sigh, is rest, eternal
REST.”
Anonymous poet (quoted by Solomon Northup, Twelve
Years a Slave, 1853)

3. V. Wreslin’ Jacob
“Frederick, is God dead?”
Sojourner Truth (to Frederick Douglass after his 1847
address at a Salem, Ohio anti-slavery convention in which
he proclaimed slavery would end only with the shedding
of blood.)
VI. Roll, Jordan Roll
“Through thickest glooms look back, immortal
shade.”
Phillis Wheatley (Onthe Death of Dr. Samuel Marshall,
1771)
VII. Swing Lo’ Sweet Chariot
“God’s in His heaven --
All’s right with the world!”
Robert Browning (Pippa’s Song, 1841)
VIII. Steal Away
“It began to dawn on me that colour
had something to do with the way people were
treated.”
Verna Thomas (Invisible Shadows:
A Black Woman’s Life in Nova Scotia, 2001)
IX. Give Me Jesus
“But what on earth is whiteness
that one should so desire it?”
W.E.B. Du Bois (Darkwater, The Souls of White Folk,
1920)
X. My Lawd, What a Morning!
“[I hail DuBois] as a model of militant manhood
and integrity. He defied them, and though they
heaped venom and scorn on him, his powerful
voice was never still.”

4. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (DuBois’ Centennial Birthday
Celebration, Carnegie Hall, February 23, 1968; five weeks
before his assassination, April 4, 1968)
El Jones, Actor I
A spoken word actionist and teacher. She is Halifax's
fifth poet laureate and current director of Word Iz Bond
Spoken Word Artist Collective. Her book, Live From the
Afrikan Resistance! is being released this fall from
Roseway Press. She is blessed by the friendship and
artistic comradeship of Aidan, to whom these freedom
performances are dedicated. Ashay!
William Simmons, Actor II {Part I}
Sobaz Benjamin, Actor II {Part II}
Born in London, England, currently lives in Halifax, Nova
Scotia with his wife and children. He is the Executive
Director of In My Own Voice (iMOVe) Arts Association
and Program Director of Bridge Centre for Arts and
Technology. He is also a filmmaker and vice president of
Sankofa Films.
Patti Kibenge, Actor III
Patti Kibenge was born in Puyallup, WashingtonState,
USA and grew up in Charlottetown P.E.I. She attended
both University of British Columbia and Dalhousie
University focusing first on microbiology and then
medicine. She recently left the science world to pursue
music, art and entrepreneurship. Her acting experience is
comprised of a part in You're a Good Man Charlie Brown
with the Dalhousie Medicine Players and an appearance
in a national Shopper's Drug Mart Commercial.

5. Dr. Chike Jeffers, Actor IV {DuBois} (Alderney
Landing Theatre)
Dr. Chike Jeffers is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy
at Dalhousie University. He specializes in Africana
Philosophy and Philosophy of Race, with general interests
in social and political philosophy and ethics. He is the
editor of the book Listening to Ourselves: A Multilingual
Anthology of African Philosophy.
Tyler Messervey, Actor IV {DuBois}
(Murray Studio – Dalhousie Arts Centre)
Currently a 3rd year Dalhousie Acting Student with plans
to attend The Centre for Arts and Technology upon
graduating in the winter. He was recently in DalTheatre's
production of The Good Soul of Szechwan and he is also a
member of Make 'Em Ups Improv Company and
performs with them regularly. Tyler would like to thank
Quanda Johnson for giving him this wonderful
opportunity.
Rana Encol, Hannah
Rana is from Barrie, Ontario and moved to Halifax to
pursue a journalism degree. She studied literature in
Montreal and has always loved theatre, music, and art.
She writes and works for the Halifax Media Co-op.
Dr. Henry V. Bishop, African Drummer
(Alderney Landing Theatre)
Dr. Henry V. Bishop was born in WeymouthFalls, Digby
Co. NS. He is a direct descendant of both the Black
Loyalists and migrant workers of Barbados. He is a
graduate of the renowned NSCAD University witha
degree in Graphic Design and Child Psychology. The first
African N.S. man to achieve this in art college history. He
has created numerous corporate logos and uses pen/ink
to create in his various portraits of famous Canadians or
does unique conceptual illustrations. His work sits in

6. Ottawa, Washington D.C. and New York City and Halifax
galleries or museums. He has co-authored three books:
Out of the Past: Into the Future (1994); InOur Time
(1996); Historic Black Nova Scotia. He has a Honorary
Doctorate in Fine Arts from NSCAD University (Nova
Scotia College of Arts & Design, 2000).
D’Arcy Gray, African Drummer
(Murray Studio – Dalhousie Arts Centre)
He is Canadian percussionist who has premiered well
over 100 new works, mostly solo or chamber music by
Canadian composers. He has participated in worldwide
installations of Rainforest IV and the Collage Juke-Box
project. As of summer 2008, Gray has made Halifax,
Nova Scotia his new home after 23 years in Montreal. He
has been appointed Percussion Instructor at Dalhousie
University. He is a graduate of the Juilliard School and
McGill University. He has received grants from the
Canada Council for the Arts, the Conseil des arts et des
lettres du Québec, and the Getty ResearchInstitute for
the Arts and Humanities.
Shari Clarke, Scots/Irish Fiddler
Shari is a versatile string player, equally comfortable on
instruments of the past and present. As a member of the
Early Music Society of Nova Scotia, she plays viola da
gamba, vielle, and Baroque violin, and she is currently a
member of the Chebucto Symphony Orchestra. Shari
studied violin and theory at McGill University where she
took up Baroque violin. Upon moving to Halifax in 1996,
she was quickly "bitten by the fiddle bug", and now plays
regularly in Irish sessions. A music teacher at the
Shambhala School, Shari is an advocate for music
education in the schools and a strong champion of music
students of all ages.

7. Julie Clements, Dancer
Julie is a native Nova Scotian and an incredible talent and
human being.
Linda Carvery, Singer I
Linda is a founding member and President of the award-
winning Nova Scotia Mass Choir, Linda embarked on a
solo career in 2000. Working with Bill Stevenson and the
crew at CBC Halifax,she recorded her first solo CD
Yesterday / Today featuring selections of her personal
jazz, blues, r&b and gospel favourites. She received the
ECMA for Best Jazz Artist in 2002 and has performed in
the Neptune Theatre productions of Gospel at Colonus
and Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. She performed in
Eastern Front Theatre’s production of Whylah Falls
which staged a series of performances at the National
Arts Centre. Linda performed at the Halifax for Haiti
fundraising concert, and was part of the East Coast Blues
Summit on CBC. She has served as the Citizenship Judge
for the Atlantic region.
Marko Simmonds, Singer II
Marko is the founder of RMS Music Services and has
more than ten years experience in event management,
theatre/ television productions, festival planning and
provincial school presenter of music and the music
business. Marko has been the most recent musical
director of the Nova Scotia Mass Choir. A graduate of the
prestigious Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA, he is a
two-time ECMA Nominee, a two-time Nova Scotia Music
Awards nominee and the winner of the Rising Star Award
from the African Nova Scotian Music Association
(ANSMA). Affiliations includes: SOCAN, ASCAP,
Canadian Academy or Recording Arts and Sciences
(CARAS), Music Nova Scotia, East Coast Music Awards
and Berklee College of Music Alumni, Boston, MA.

8. Shelley Young, Mi’kmaq Honor Song
Shelley Young is a Mi'kmaq mother from Eskasoni First
Nation. She teaches Mi'kmaq language at the Mi'kmaq
Child & Development Centre, is a Regional Project
Manager for The Centre for Pediatric Pain Research at
the IWK, and is the owner of “Honour Beads”, a new
Native Arts & Crafts/Bead store in Dartmouth, N.S.
Shelley has had her work at the IWK published, was
recognized as a "Peace & Social Justice Leader" by the
Ecology Action Center and was chosen as a "Millennial
Leader" in Nova Scotia recently for her activism in
Aboriginal rights awareness, water protection and
environmental preservation. Shelley is passionate about
making a difference, has volunteered countless hours in
community building and is focused on preserving her
culture, language, traditional teachings and advancing
the wellbeing of Aboriginal communities.
Richard Taylor, Mi’kmaq Honor Song
Selina Kitpulskw, Mi’kmaq Prayer
Nkwé ( Grandmother) Selina is an Ancient Healer
Medicine Woman from Mi’kMaqi, Nova Scotia Canada.
Her mixed Aboriginal ancestral heritage brings a richly
woven connection of Wisdom, Medicine and
Understanding. She brings an Ancient, Sacred Medicine
Way to restore Oneness with Source Creator, Your Spirit
and Mother Earth/MU. Her ability to align with the
Divine in All Of Creation is pure and connects to All Paths
leading back to the Centre of Infinity. Ancient Healer
Medicine Woman – Earth Keeper – Story Teller—Speaker
Of the Sisterhood
Sara Hartland-Rowe, Performing Visual Artist
Sara Hartland-Rowe is a Halifax painter who has
exhibited across Canada as well as in the U.S and Europe.
Her work is concerned with human stories, and so the

9. opportunity to participate in Beyond the Veil of the
Sorrow Songs is inspiring.
Craig Baltzer, Performing Visual Artist
Craig is from Dartmouth Nova Scotia. A graduate of the
Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University, with a
BFA in Photography, extensive experience with studio
painting classes along with drawing. Work focus
primarily rural landscape and architecture. Strong
knowledge of genealogical family history and maritime
history. His work is greatly influenced by Tom Thompson
and The Group of Seven, a well known historical group of
Canadian painter's. He’s participated in live art
competitions and loves the energy of the crowd.
Mary Garoutte, Visual Artist
Mary is from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Garoutte received her
Bachelor of Fine Arts at the Nova Scotia College of Art
and Design in 2004, and since graduation, she has taught
various painting and drawing workshops to adults and
children, notably the NSCAD Continuing Education
program. She has exhibited in group exhibitions
throughout Canada and at the University of Ulsanin
Ulsan, South Korea. Actively involved in live painting,
notably Art Battle, a live painting competition, in 2013,
Garoutte competed on a national level, representing her
home province. Major influences include Canadian
Artists such as the Group of Seven, the Beaver Hall Group
& Robert Genn and figurative painters such as Lucian
Freud & Charlie Mackesy. A private arts instructor, she is
passionate about the local arts scene and is active in
various art programs to contribute to the vision of putting
Halifax artists and activities on the map.
Suzanne James, Visual Artist

10. Quanda Johnson, Director, Writer, and Editor
Quanda is a Philadelphia native who has performed on
and off Broadway, and in regional theatre, national, and
international tours. A Fulbright independent researcher
awarded a Fulbright Community Leadership Program
grant, she is affiliated with Dalhousie Theater and Music,
as well as NSCAD Media Arts. Beyond the Veil of the
Sorrow Songs is the culmination of her exploration of the
Underground Railroad as it relates to the Maritimes and
Quebec. She created/produced original works, Lyrical
Langston: His Muse for Music and My Lord What a
Morning!: The Life of Marian Anderson in Her Own
Words. She has an MFA in Acting from the New School
University (NYC) and a Master of Music degree from the
Conservatory of Music at BrooklynCollege. Nominated
for an AUDELCO Award (Best Actress) for her portrayal
of Marian Anderson, she appeared in Broadway's Tony
award-winning Ragtime; three seasons with New York
City Opera, and off Broadway's Mandela in whichshe
played Winnie Mandela. All of her work is dedicated to
the memory of the first artist in her life, her mother,
Vernetta.
Liliona Quarmyne, Movement and Muse
Liliona is an independent choreographer, performer, and
teacher, and is the Creative Mind-Body-Spirit Program
Coordinator for the Tatamagouche Centre. Liliona’s work
focuses on the body’s link to past and future generations.
Her Ghanaian/Filipino background and diverse
experiences help her generate a creative vision of how we
are in the world.
David Clark, Media Arts Coordinator
David is a Halifax based media artist. He teaches Media
Arts at NSCAD University.

11. Dylan Fish, Assistant Media Arts Coordinator
Dylan Fish is a recent graduate from the Nova Scotia
College of Art and Design with a Bachelor of Fine Arts,
major in Fine Art. Currently, he is the first artist in
residence at the newly developed Dartmouth Bridge
Centre for Arts and Technology where he is focusing his
practice on painting, textiles and intermedia.
Solomon Nagler, Media Artist/Film Maker
Nagler's films have played across Canada, in the U.S.,
Europe and Asia at venues such the Centre Pompidou
(Paris), L'Université Paris Panthéon Sorbonne and
Lincoln Center in New York. His work has been featured
in Retrospectives at the Winnipeg Cinematheque in
August of 2004, at the Excentris Cinema in Montreal in
August of 2007, the Festival De Le Cinéma Different in
Paris in December 2005 and 2007, The Calgary Society of
Independent Filmmakers and The Canadian Film
Institute in 2009. Originally from Winnipeg, Solomon
Nagler currently lives in Halifax where he is a professor of
film production at NSCAD University.
Alex Van Helvoort, Media/Visual Artist
Laura May Taylor, Media/Visual Artist
I am a current NSCAD student, studying printmaking and
fashion/textiles. I frequently travel back and forth from
BC, where I am a lighting technician in the film industry,
to Halifax, where I workon my art and school. I often try
to incorporate all aspects of my life into eachother,
creating multimedia pieces with a highlighting
performance aspect.
Torin Buzek, Technical Advisor
An alumnus of Dalhousie, Torin has, for the past 13 years,
worked in professional theatres throughout Canada
including Neptune, Eastern Front and The National Arts

12. Centre. He has spent the last 8 years as Head Stage
Carpenter of the Studio Theatre at the Stratford
Shakespeare Festival of Canada. When not at Dalhousie,
Torin helps his wife, Donna, run their heritage cashmere
fibre farm.
Liesl Low, Stage Manager
Liesl is a technical scenography student at Dalhousie and
has worked on shows with the DalTheatre, Spatz Theatre,
TheatreSpeak, No Parachute Theatre and Votive Dance.
She is the scenic shop assistant at Dalhousie. She is very
interested in stage management and lighting design and
is very grateful for all the guidance from her dedicated
professors.
Carolena Charles, Assistant Stage Manager, Lighting
Board Operator/ASM
Her work in theatre includes: Triumph of Love, Ghost
Sonata, The Good Soul of Szechuan, Pericles, The
Decameron (Dalhousie University), Runfor your Wife ,
Criminal Genius (Head of Props, Festival Antigonish
2013), Howl Opera (Lighting) , Oppression (Lighting),
The Next.
Douglas Cox, Stand-in Stage Manager
(Alderney Landing Theatre performance)
Dr. Afua Cooper, Mentor
Dr. Cooper is Dalhousie University’s current James
Robinson Johnston Chair in Black Canadian Studies is a
Jamaica native. She holds a Ph.D. in African-Canadian
history with specialties in slavery and abolition. Her
dissertation, "Doing Battle in Freedom’s Cause", is a
biographical study of Henry Bibb, a 19th-century African-
American abolitionist who lived and worked in Ontario.
She also has expertise in women's history and New
France studies. A resident of Halifax, she is a winner of

13. the Harry Jerome Award for professional excellence. Her
most recent book, The Hanging of Angelique (2006) tells
the story of an enslaved African Marie-Joseph Angelique
who was executed in Montreal at a time when Quebec
was under French colonial rule and was shortlisted for
the 2006 Governor General's Literary Award for non-
fiction. A pioneering Dub poet and performance artist,
she is the author of four books of poetry and has been an
incredible support system to the Beyond the Veil of the
Sorrow Songs research, symposium, and production.
King Tabrizi, Marketing/Promotion, Graphic Design
Jordan Comeau, Marketing/Promotion
Claire Ahern, Marketing/Promotion
Grateful to George Elliott Clarke
(Poet Laureate of Toronto)
Campbell Road Church
Saltwater Spirituals and Deeper Blues
Gratitude to Aidan Cromwell for the inclusion of his
Courts, Suicide, and
Lose Out of Sight
All other spoken word pieces written by
Quanda Johnson

14. Acknowledgements
Grateful appreciation to all the experts and scholars who
gave of their energy and support to make this event a
success.
Fulbright Community Leadership
Team/Fulbright Canada
Dr. Michael Hawes
Dr. James McNiven
Scott See
Cambria Findley-Grubb
Kaitlyn Innes
Michelle Emond
Brad Hector
Dalhousie University
Dr. Richard Florizone, President
Dr. Jennifer Bain, Music (Chair)
Rob McClure, Theatre (Chair)
Dr. Afua Cooper, James R. Johnston Chair
Dr. Chike Jeffers, Philosophy
Dr. Jerry Bannister, History
Dr. Isaac Saney, Transition Year Program
Dr. Wanda Thomas Bernard, Social Work
Dr. Jacqueline Warwick, Music
Dr. Steven Baur, Music
Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD)
Dr. Kenn Honeychurch, Provost—
Vice-president of Academic Affairs/Research
Dr. Bruce Barber, Media Arts (Chair)
David Clark, Media Arts
Solomon Nagler, Media Arts
Suzanne Funnell, Visual Arts -- Painting

15. From the Conservatory of Music at
Brooklyn College
Dr. Bruce MacIntyre, (Chair)
Mignon Dunn
Dr. Tania Leon
Richard Barrett
A huge thank you to my vocal coach,
Cris Frisco
Brooklyn College
Dr. Lynda Day, Africana Studies
Dr. Sophia Perdikaris, Archaeologist
Keisha-Gaye Anderson, Editor-in-Chief,
BC Magazine
Jamilah Simmons, BC Magazine

16. Special thank you to the following community
leaders and artists
Dr. Henry Bishop
Dr. Sylvia Hamilton
Dr. Linda Carvery
Delvina Bernard
Juanita Peters
David Woods
David States
David and Linda Schroeder
Janice Jackson
Catherine Banks
Rev. LeQuita Porter
(East Preston United Baptist Church)
Rev. Dr. Rhonda Britton
(Cornwallis Street Baptist Church)
Rev. Pastor Wayne Desmond
(Cherry Brook United Baptist Church)
Rev. Wallace Smith
(St. Thomas Baptist Church)
Rev. Dr. Lennett J. Anderson
(Emmanuel Baptist Church)