August 29 will see the release of a new folk opera from Genesee Valley Council on the Arts (GVCA). The Geneseo Riviera Theatre will host the event, presenting a performance titled “Pulling The Thread: A Clara Barton Story.”
“Pulling The Thread: A Clara Barton Story” will focus on the life of Clara Barton, who founded the Red Cross. The folk opera will emphasize themes of resilience, healthcare, and innovation. A mural of her was recently created in Dansville, the same place she created the first Red Cross chapter.
GCVA received funding from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to do the project. The opera is a part of NEA’s Celebrating America250: Arts Projects Honoring the National Garden of American Heroes project.
NEA Senior Advisor Mary Anne Carter shared that the project recognizes individuals who have contributed to American history. “GVCA’s project in Livingston County plays a significant role in commemorating these heroes’ legacies while affirming the enduring role of the arts in shaping America’s future.”
Local musician and composer Glenn McClure is creating the folk opera which features a libretto and musical score. Historians, students K-12, artists, veterans, and health care professionals are also collaborating with McClure on the project. The opera is also relying on community sessions, workshops, and Barton’s own diaries to tell the story.
McClure has worked closely with GVCA to hold community dialogues and workshops to understand how to present Barton’s legacy. His creative process is heavily focuses on community-based work, later shown in venues such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. McClure shared his thought process behind the folk opera.
“This project asks the question, ‘Who is Clara [Barton] for us today?’ In all her complexity, she resonates now as an undaunted female leader, as a public servant, as a brilliant organizer, and most importantly, as a person who sought care to heal from psychological wounds of war. Her diaries reveal much that speaks to our time and music is a powerful tool to share her story.”
GVCA hopes to seek additional funding to turn the folk opera into a complete opera for 2027. Key music from the folk opera will be sent to high schools and colleges across New York State for music programs. Doing so will spread Barton’s story beyond Genesee Valley.
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