The Song of Silas

By Alisha Proffitt • Photos Provided

On September 13, a new Kentucky song cycle will receive its world premiere at the University of Louisville School of Music. Commissioned by UofL Professor of Music Chad Sloan, “The Song of Silas” brings together Sloan, Grammy Award-winning composer Teddy Abrams, pianist Ahmed Alom, and former Kentucky Poet Laureate, Grammy-nominated New York Times bestselling author Silas House in a collaboration that brings together an extraordinary breadth of Kentucky artistic talent.

The collaboration began with Sloan, who had followed House’s work for years before reading “Southernmost” and attending his appearances in Louisville. In 2023, after seeing House’s work on Tyler Childers’ “In Your Love” music video, Sloan began thinking about how that kind of storytelling might translate into classical music. He reached out to House about creating a song cycle for baritone and piano. “I was honored that he quickly agreed to the idea,” Sloan shares.

House then became part of the search for a composer. Sloan had previously performed with Abrams and the Louisville Orchestra, and Abrams was eager to take part. "I’ve long been a fan of Teddy Abrams. Not just how talented he is as a musician and conductor but also how he is transforming American music. I love especially the way Teddy has brought classical music to rural areas that don’t have as much easy access to that as people in the cities do," House says of Abrams. The three met for their first brainstorming session in January 2024, followed by a meeting at the Paul Sawyier Library in Frankfort the next month. Abrams completed the score in September 2025.

House’s poetry is heavily influenced by his Kentucky upbringing. Sloan also shares a strong love of the Bluegrass State. He was raised in Fort Mitchell, while his family has roots in Pike and Floyd counties. "I have a love and admiration for the region, something that I feel when reading Silas’s writing. I think when naming Kentucky authors, especially now, Silas’s name is always at the top of the list," says Sloan. "He has made such an impact."

"I’ve said before that when you’re from Kentucky you just never get over it. It’s a part of who we are. The land, the vernacular, the way of life. We’re different than other people, and that’s a good thing. I often think that my pride in being a Kentuckian is deeper because the rest of the world has always shamed me for being from here. When you’re from a place that is ridiculed and negated, you either embrace the shame or you get prouder of the place," says House.  "I think most of us choose the pride. That doesn’t mean that my work shies away from the problems of the place. The bigotry, the politics, the way we’ve been held back from opportunity so often by so-called ‘representatives.’ When you love a place you must critique it, so I hope my work shows that as well as the love."

Abrams wrote music that moves between classical traditions and elements of folk, gospel, and other American styles without relying on a conventional Appalachian sound. House said the score surprised him when he first heard it. “It sounded epic,” he says. “Sometimes it is a quiet small town dusk and sometimes it is a roaring waterfall.”

"My music tries to recall the specific natural environment of Appalachia that Silas so evocatively describes, and I utilize elements of old-time folk styles and gospel improvisation to support the beautiful journey that unfolds in Silas’ voice. Chad and Ahmed have taken this music and made it their own - the fluency with which they perform these songs is stunning and humbling for me as a composer. This project has been a great joy and a wonderful source of inspiration, and I am incredibly proud that it is born of our Kentucky landscape and creative community,” Abrams says.

The vocal writing asks Sloan to move beyond the usual baritone range and use colors associated with blues and folk music. Alom, a Cuban-born performer and composer whose work crosses classical and jazz settings, joins Sloan and Abrams for the premiere. 

For Sloan, the performance also gives space to stories that are especially personal to him as a queer artist. "I want people to walk away remembering their own stories and how this poetry and music can allow them to tap into their coming-of-age years, those difficult moments of growing up with family and communities, deep sensual love, and memories of adolescence and adventure. This piece runs that gamut."

House sees the project as part of a larger creative life in Kentucky. “The stereotype is that all the artists live in New York City or Los Angeles,” he says. “I think it’s much more exciting to be an artist in Kentucky than it is in Brooklyn.”

“The Song of Silas” premieres September 13 at 3 p.m. at the University of Louisville School of Music, Comstock Hall.