On Friday, March 26, 2021 at 7:00 pm eastern, VOICES 21C will release the digital premiere of their performance, We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest, from the American Choral Director's Association Eastern Division Conference in Rochester, NY in March 2020.
The program opens with a set dedicated to feminine identity and the struggles of the feminine spirit. This set features a Salve Regina and a new work inspired by the #MeToo movement, written by French composer Emmanuelle da Costa. We take the opportunity here to pose the question: "What happens when a woman takes power?" in the form of a song by female vocal group Artemesia.
The second set explores the struggles of forced migration, in particular, distance from loved ones and the emotional toll separation takes on the human spirit. This part of the program ends with a piece by our 2018 Call for Scores finalist Nicholas Cline, based on words journalist Elvira Arellano spoke to her son during her arrest: “They can't hurt us. God is protecting us. You just have to have faith and I will be fine and with you soon.”
The third set is inspired by issues of race, the "school to prison pipeline", lynching, and incarceration. Poet, writer, and activist, Halim A. Flowers joins us for this set, performing original poetry on these themes. We juxtapose the music of this set with both historical and modern stories and poetry to provide alternative contexts.
Join VOICES 21C on their Facebook page to watch this digital premiere!
You can learn more about the concert program on VOICES 21C's website.
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