Hello all, my name is Jace Mankins, and I am a composer based in Fort Worth, TX. I recently completed an East-Texas based three-act opera titled Where No Man Pursueth, based on a novel of the same name by Michael E. Jimerson, and I am raising funds to pay musicians to put on a workshop of the piano/vocal score.

About the Workshop

Goal: $7,000

The contributions of this fundraiser will go to a workshop performance of Where No Man Pursueth, bringing the talents of seven soloists, a chorus, a pianist, and a music director.

As the composer, I will not be compensating myself with any of the funds listed. My goal is to give my opera life through a complete workshop performance. The primary goal of the workshop is to work through the entire opera and to gain recordings of significant sections to use for putting on an eventual full-stage production.

The workshop will involve some public events, including a concert of excerpts from the opera and a panel discussing the development of contemporary opera.

About the opera:

In Jim Crow East Texas, a Black handyman named Dock Baxter is accused of murder. A young white man, Ray Elliot, sets out to capture him, only to be confronted with a claim of innocence. As the threat of mob violence closes in, Dock asks Ray for an impossible promise: if he cannot secure a fair trial, Ray must grant him a merciful death rather than allow him to be lynched.

Where No Man Pursueth is a three-act opera that follows a man with good intentions struggling to enact justice within a system he cannot fully understand, and the lifelong consequences of taking that justice into his own hands.

A group of TCU musicians premiered excerpts of the opera on April 8th and can be watched here! [LINK]

Fundraising projects:

There will be some concerts involved in fundraising. The first is in a week from now on June 12 at 6:30PM at the Texan Theater in Kilgore, TX. This concert is an East Texas New Music Concert featuring the music of Blaise Ferrandino, Jim Taylor, Jim Simmons, Blayden Gardner, Joey Tullis, Kyle Cornelison, and a scene from my opera.

Tickets are $20! Food and drink will be provided, as well as a meet-and-greet with the author of Where No Man Pursueth, Michael E. Jimerson! Any donation equalling or exceeding $20 will grant you admission to the concert. Please include your name or hang onto a receipt so we can reserve your seat!

My hope is that this concert will also spark interest in future concerts in East Texas promoting the works of living composers!

I will also be giving a piano recital in a few months: date TBD.

Donation Perks

$25 - Access to workshop rehearsals

$50 - PDF copy of the piano-vocal score for the opera

$100 - Name listed on supporters page for workshop

$250 - Patron acknowledgement in concert and workshop materials