The New Colossus
for SATB choir and Piano
Written: (2026)
Duration: 6'
for SATB choir (with occasional divisis, SSATBB) and piano
Commissioned by Vocalis Chamber Choir
World Premiere: Vocalis Chamber Choir, James Burritt, Music Director and Conductor, “Voices of the Queen City,” Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Buffalo, NY, May 17, 2026
New York City Premiere: St. John the Divine Choir, Kent Tritle, Music Director and Conductor, July 2, 2026
Publisher: Bill Holab Music
Purchase Music | View Perusal Score | Score and Part Practice MIDI MP3s
Program Note
When considering a text for a choral work that speaks to redefining America as a place grounded in love and acceptance, it is hard not to turn to The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus. The poem, inscribed on a plaque inside the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty, commemorates the statue’s purpose as a symbol of welcome for immigrants to the United States. Reflecting on my own ancestors and the world we live in today, it seems clear to me that all Americans are immigrants, regardless of race, creed, color, or identity. I long for a world in which we affirm our shared humanity not through division, but through diversity, common ideals, and a generosity of spirit.
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The New Colossus
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"– Emma Lazarus
(In The Public Domain)
Press Quotes
“Robert Paterson has created a work that captures both the hope and grandeur of America in his sweeping and deeply moving composition, The New Colossus. Set to Emma Lazarus’s iconic text inscribed at the base of the Statue of Liberty, the piece serves as a powerful reminder of the ideals to which we aspire as a nation: to be welcoming, compassionate, optimistic, and inclusive.
With its bold, triumphant gestures and beautifully lyrical setting of the words “Give me your tired, your poor...,” the work is both inspiring and memorable. Accessible to choirs of varying levels, The New Colossus deserves recognition among the finest musical settings of this celebrated text.
It was a true pleasure to collaborate with Mr. Paterson on the commissioning of this remarkable piece.”