Take Me To The Water is a soulful exploration of original arrangements of spirituals, iconic works by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and Alice Coltrane, and an exhilarating interpretation of Debussy’s Danse Sacrée. Take Me To The Water celebrates the transportive nature of water, and of the rivers that unite us. The program can be done as harp solo or harp with string quintet. (Duration: 70 mins)

Alice Coltrane: Radhe-Shyam
Traditional American spiritual: River Jordan
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: Deep River
Brandee Younger: Unrest
Claude Debussy: Danse Sacree
Joao Luiz Rezende: Yemaya 1
Alice Coltrane: Prema
Margaret Bonds: Troubled Water
Traditional American spiritual: Amen
Traditional American spiritual: Take Me to the Water***

Tied to February 27, 2026 release of “Cover Girl” EP with songs by Arooj Aftab, Whitney Houston, Nina Simone and The Cranberries, this program with flutist Emi Ferguson explores the kaleidoscopic range of sounds and emotions that harp and flute can conjure, with a diverse, virtuosic collection of original arrangements. (Duration: 50 mins)

Nina Simone: Please Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood
Whitney Houston: I’m Every Woman
Arooj Aftab: Udhero-Na***
The Cranberries: Dreaming My Dreams
Ayub Ogada: Kothbrio***
Rabe’eh Zand: In the Middle of the River***
African American spiritual: River Jordan
Anohni: River of Sorrow***
Radiohead: Pyramid Song***

***With Emi Ferguson

An intimate program that explores how identity is shaped by those who came before, and how music allows for the unearthing and connection with ancestral memories. (Duration: 55 mins)

Alice Coltrane: Prema
Alice Coltrane: Radhe-Shyam
Traditional, arr. Ashley Jackson: River Jordan
Brandee Younger: Unrest
Margaret Bonds: Troubled Water
Nina Simone: Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood
The Cranberries: Dreaming My Dreams
Whitney Houston: I’m Every Woman
Traditional, arr. Ashley Jackson: Amen
Traditional, arr. Ashley Jackson: Take Me to the Water

In The Things We Carry, Jackson juxtaposes the music of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and Brandee Younger with that of Bach and Scarlatti, as a way to explore the complex themes of identity and ownership that are often faced by classical musicians of African descent. The story begins with her ancestor, Paul Cuffe, a highly successful businessman who in the early 1800s led several trips to Sierra Leone. Jackson draws parallels between his life and her experiences, as she not only considers the gifts and lessons passed between generations, but also how we infuse such traditions with new ideas and bold reimaginings. (Duration: 45 mins)

Domenico Scarlatti: Sonata K. 27
Alice Coltrane: Prema
Johann Sebastian Bach: French Suite No. 6 in E Major, BWV 817
Allemande
Sarabande
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: Deep River
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: The Angels Changed My Name
Brandee Younger: Essence of Ruby

Soloist with Orchestra

Claude Debussy: Danse Sacrée et Profane
William Grant Still: Ennanga
Alice Coltrane: Prema

Solo and Chamber Repertoire

Maurice Ravel arr. Carlos Salzedo: Sonatine for flute, cello and harp
Chevalier de St. Georges: Sonata for flute and harp in E-flat major
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: I’m Troubled in Mind
Maurice Ravel: Introduction and Allegro
Claude Debussy: Sonata for flute, viola and harp
Marcel Grandjany: Rhapsodie