He failed and two months later, Brown and those in his party not killed in the raid were hanged. Sixteen months later, the Civil War began. Like the letters, the songs recount tumultuous history in decidedly human terms, focusing not just on Brown but his family and several others who made the ultimate sacrifice to end slavery. Artzner and Leonino wrote the seven remaining songs after a tremendous amount of research at the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, the Library of Congress and elsewhee, relying on original documents and particularly, letters by the participants. And just as Si Kahn's opening song offers a snapshot of coming events, the closing Testimony of Frederick Douglass recasts them with both personal and historic perspective.
Distant history is made human by song, in voices that feel authentic and committed.
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