Adrienne Danrich & Thomas Bagwell at the premiere of Hold On on December 1, 2012 at The Copper Union, NYC.

• Premiere: 1 December 2012 / The Great Hall at The Copper Union, NYC / Sing for Hope / AIDS Quilt Songbook@20 / Adrienne Danrich, voice & Thomas Bagwell, piano

• Instrumentation: voice and piano

• Duration: 4'

• Text: Pueblo Prayer

TEXT

Hold on to what is good,

even if it's a handful or earth.

Hold on to what you believe,  

even if it's a tree that stands by itself.

Hold on to what you must do,    

even if it's a long way from here.

Hold on to your life,  

even if it's easier to let go.

Hold on to my hand,

even if I've gone away from you.

     - Pueblo prayer

When “Hold On” was commissioned in 2012, I was invited to set this profoundly moving text for inclusion in the concert event that honored the 20th year after the creation of the original AIDS Quilt Songbook. The commissioner chose this text—widely credited as a Pueblo blessing—for the ways in which it speaks to courage and perseverance. In the years since this work was premiered, I’ve heard from performers and listeners that they drew strength from this piece, though I don’t know for certain that any of them were members of the Pueblo Nation. With an evolving understanding of the ownership of narrative, it’s imperative that I acknowledge that this widely-circulated text belongs very specifically to the people of the Pueblo communities, and not to the people of the Dirianes from which my heritage is traced. Having originally set this text as part of a fundraising effort for the AIDS Quilt Songbook@20 project, I’ve elected now to direct any funds from the sales of this song back to the Pueblo Nation. I encourage anyone performing this work to learn more here: https://pueblorelieffund.org

Susanna Phillips and Thomas Bagwell recorded “Hold On” for release on Sing for Hope’s AN AIDS QUILT SONGBOOK, GPR Records.  To hear and to download Susanna and Thomas’ performance, click on the CD cover below and select Track 10.