A quiet notice V2Melody closes at midnight on , Spanish time.

Closes

A note from Richard

V2Melody will close at midnight on 20 January 2028

This site has been a retirement project in musical poetry: poems chosen with care and set to music, offered freely for as long as it felt right to keep the garden open.

The work no longer holds the place it once did in my life. I have gone as far with it as I wish to go. Like a sand mandala, it was made to be completed and then released. I am not attached to its permanence, and I do not believe any of it needs to last beyond the time it was given. The poems were already here before I arrived and began to experiment with them. They will still be here when these musical experiments, and indeed myself, have been swept away, like the sand of a mandala. Nothing has been lost.

I want a simpler end to my life, days of simple love and enjoyment with my wonderful wife of 20 years. The work of maintaining a server, the monitoring, and the residual obligations that come with keeping a site alive no longer fit that life.

From 4 November 2026 I will not be adding new poems or musical poems to the site.

Until midnight on 20 January 2028, Spanish time, everything remains available exactly as it is. That is when my VPS server contract comes to an end, and it will not be renewed. After that, the server will be switched off and the site will disappear.

The Mandala Is Finished explains this more fully.

Thank you to anyone who found a poem, a track, or a quiet moment here.

The pleasure was in the making.

Richard



1921

Event dated 23 May 1921

Shuffle Along Broadway Premiere

Poets involved

What happened

The Broadway premiere of 'Shuffle Along' in 1921 marked a groundbreaking moment in American theater, showcasing an all-Black cast and creative team led by Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle. This musical not only became a major hit but also challenged racial stereotypes and opened doors for Black performers in a predominantly white industry. Its success helped pave the way for future African American productions on Broadway, influencing the cultural landscape of American theater.

Literary impact

The premiere of 'Shuffle Along' on Broadway not only showcased Black talent but also significantly influenced the rhythm and vernacular of American poetry. Poets like Langston Hughes and Claude McKay drew inspiration from its jazz-infused style, merging music and verse in innovative ways.

Source: Wikipedia

Poets alive in 1921

207 poets

More events in 1921

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