Heroes’ Voices is pleased to announce two performances of The Soldier’s Journey, a celebration of music and poetry exploring a variety of perspectives on war, peace and the soldier’s experience.
These performances are the culminating events of the Heroes’ Voices National Veterans Poetry Contest, a cooperative venture between Heroes’ Voices and George Mason University.
While the two events will be somewhat different, they will both include the four winning poems, selected from hundreds of entries we received from veterans across America, along with other selected poetry. Both events will also feature an extraordinary ensemble of actors, musicians and veterans, including participants in Heroes’ Voices workshops. The performances will also feature music, ranging from traditional folk to contemporary popular songs.
In San Francisco, California: June 3, 3:00 PM
The General’s Residence at Fort Mason, at Franklin and Bay
Tickets are $40, and include admission to the performance and to the Meet the Artists reception that follows.
A limited number of vouchers for free tickets are available for veterans on a first-come, first served basis.
For complete information, visit heroesvoices.org/tickets.
Our special guest artist at this performance will be San Francisco Poet Laureate Kim Shuck, whose poetry collections include Clouds Running In and Rabbit Stories.
In Manassas, Virginia: June 13, 7:30 PM
Hylton Performing Arts Center, George Mason University
Free admission, donations accepted
Whether or not you are able to attend either of these events, please consider sponsoring free tickets for veterans. See hereosvoices.org/tickets for details.
Thank you to our distinguished panel of advisors and judges:
- Lawrence Ferlinghetti – Poet and Artist.
- Major General John Borling – Poet, author of Taps on the Walls.
- Kim Shuck – Poet Laureate of San Francisco.
- Rick Davis – Dean, College of Visual and Performing Arts, George Mason University.
- Colonel David Rabb – Poet.
- Keven Bellows – Poet and Teacher.
Heroes’ Voices has been sponsoring music and poetry workshops for veterans in a variety of settings since 2014. We will soon be publishing a limited-edition booklet of the best poems entered in the contest along with works created in our ongoing workshop program, such as this touching poem from Army veteran Tristan Carson:
I Am A Free Spirit
I am a free spirit – an instrument of my life
I am the only one who can determine what my song is
If it is a song of beauty, pain or war
these are the chords I can play
I must play the song I want – with chords of strength and love,
to counter the chords of pain and anger I may bring into my life,
or allow to have influence.
I look forward to seeing you at one of these performances!