BETHEL — A local audience will hear the words of Richard Blanco’s 2013 presidential inaugural poem, “One Today,” set to original music at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23, at The Gem Theater, 23 Cross St.

Tom Davis, a Bethel native and retired minister of music, wrote the musical score and will direct the performance by 24 local vocalists, accompanied by a string quartet from the Portland Symphony Orchestra.

Throughout his life, Davis has viewed music as a way to bring people together, and he hopes that listening to Blanco’s words about unity and commonality will help people to focus on their similarities, rather than their differences.

“About a year ago, I started seeing a growing antagonistic tone in our country, and I thought, what could a person do? What could I do?” Davis said. “I’ve always thought very highly of the poem, which speaks to the divisiveness in our country. I thought that if I could set it to music, it would give the poem another voice.”

Davis reached out to Blanco to get his reaction to the idea, knowing that “for an artist to agree to let somebody play with his work can be difficult.”

Blanco readily agreed to the concept, and will speak at the performance.

A celebration of diversity

Davis spent last winter writing the music, a process he described as “quite a cathartic thing.”

He recruited local choral singers, and assembled vocalists of all ages, from high school students to retirees.

“They have really dug into it. They’re a very good group of singers,” he said. “The singers have responded very well to the music and how it makes the poem live again. And in learning the music, we’ve been studying the poem.”

“There will be nothing political about this performance,” said Davis, who grew up in the 1960s but describes himself as “not particularly political.”

“We are all aware that we are living in some tough times, with anger, suspicion, and fear, but this is not about any of that. We will celebrate our diversity and honor the differences among us,” he said.

The program will begin quietly, with two members of the chorus singing a folk song called “Glorious.”

Then, prior to their performance of “One Today,” the musicians and chorus will perform a handful of shorter pieces, including Irving Berlin’s “Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor,” a musical setting of the Emma Lazarus sonnet that appears on the Statue of Liberty.

The program will also feature James Taylor’s “Shed a Little Light,” as well as another original piece of music written by Davis that weaves together two quotes from Fred Rogers, of TV’s “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.”

Blanco will then introduce the musical performance of “One Today” with a short talk about the poem.

Performance to honor Jim Owen

“This has been a collaborative effort, with many diverse partners,” Davis said.

They include the Western Mountains Senior College, the Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Mahoosuc Arts Council, which have joined together to sponsor the event, as well as local businesses who have contributed toward expenses, particularly the cost of bringing the string quartet from the Portland Symphony Orchestra to perform.

“The Gem is giving up the space for our use on both Saturday and Sunday,” Davis said.

“We have held rehearsals at the (West Parish) Congregational Church since July, and Jean Bass has been our rehearsal accompanist.”

The church’s Congo Craftsmen constructed risers for the chorus atop the theater’s new permanent stage, which was built by contractor Dan Gibbs and his crew.

In keeping with the inaugural poem’s theme of appreciation for our world and the people in it, the performance will honor retired Gould Academy music and art teacher Jim Owen.

“Jim was a very important influence on my life, and on the lives of several other members of the chorus,” said Davis, a 1968 alumnus of Gould.

“He was a tremendous influence on the whole community. When I left high school, I went to USM to study music education; it was because he was my role model.”

Dress rehearsal open to the public

The performance will take place in The Gem’s largest theater, which holds 200 people, but Davis said he has heard from so many people who want to attend that about three-quarters of the seats have already been reserved.

After seeing the level of interest in the program, he decided to open the dress rehearsal to the public, in hopes of giving more people a chance to hear the music. It’s at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22.

“I want to give a heads-up,” he said. “We know more people want to come to the performance on Sunday than we will have seats for. There may be 50 to 60 seats available for those who arrive early, but I’d like to encourage people to consider coming to Saturday’s dress rehearsal instead.”

Following the Oct. 23 performance, refreshments will be served in the lobby, where Davis hopes people will gather to mingle and chat.

There is no charge for the performance, but there will be an opportunity for attendees to donate to The Gem’s mission of supporting local arts initiatives and serving as a community hub.