Hopes of the living dead
Hopes of the Living Dead: A drama of struggle and hope by society's rejects. A true story of courage and resilience based on the life of Harcourt Whyte. Afflicted with leprosy at an early age and condemned to life as a beggar and an outcast, Harcourt broke the shackles of his existence by writing over two hundred popular church hymns. These became the standard in churches across Southeastern Nigeria and the trendsetter for all future Christian music in the region for decades to come. As a leader, Harcourt led the Lepers' Rebellion of 1928-32. The success of the revolt resulted in the creation of the self-sustaining Uzuakoli Leper Colony and Research Center where Harcourt and his counterparts, as human guinea pigs, helped in the discovery of cures for leprosy. Cured of the disease in 1949, Harcourt formed a choir made up of other Uzuakoli patients. This choir, known for their sonorous voices (for they did not have the appendages necessary for stringed instruments), performed in churches and entertained both the commoner and dignitaries across the land for decades.