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60 YEARS AFTER “I HAVE A DREAM” SPEECH, THE WASHINGTON CHORUS HONORS DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING’S ENDURING LEGACY
The April 4 concert offers a stirring reflection on Dr. King’s struggles and triumphs with “Scenes from the Life of a Martyr” and Duruflé’s “Requiem.”
Washington, D.C. (March 9, 2023) – The Washington Chorus will celebrate the 60th anniversary of MLK’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech with a reflective and inspiring concert Free at Last! A Musical Tribute to Dr. King’s Legacy, at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall, on April 4 at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $15 and can be purchased at https://thewashingtonchorus.org/202223-season
The chorus will perform Undine Smith Moore’s (1932 – 1976 ) Pulitzer Prize-nominated “Scenes from the Life of a Martyr” and Maurice Duruflé’s (1902-1986) powerful “Requiem.” Soloists include an exciting combination of established artists and rising stars: Brandie Sutton, soprano; Rehanna Thelwell, mezzo-soprano (Cafritz Young Artists of Washington National Opera); Demetrious Sampson Jr., tenor; and Kenneth Overton, baritone.
2023 marks 60 years since Dr. King gave his infamous “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. The Washington Chorus honors the progress made since 1963, and the immense amount of work required today to make Dr. King’s dream of equality for all a reality.
“I’ve always wanted to present ‘Scenes from the Life of a Martyr ‘as it truly speaks to MLK’s life and celebrates one of DMV’s most important composers says Dr. Rogers. “I’m pairing the two works in memory of all those that have given to the civil rights movement, and as part of TWC’s mission to honor the past and commission new works.”
Born in 1904, Smith Moore experienced firsthand the cruel realities of the Jim Crow era. Raised in Petersburg, Virginia, she became a professor at Virginia State University in 1927, where she founded the Black Music Center. Her grandparents were enslaved. Despite being an established composer, the institutional racism subjected to Smith Moore caused her to scrutinize her accomplishments:
Smith Moore composed “Scenes from the Life of a Martyr” between November 1975 and 1979. Self-described as her “most significant work,” the 16-part oratorio gives insight into the lesser-known parts of Dr. King’s life. Four moving sections chronicle Dr. King’s childhood, early manhood, rise to fame, and the tragic end of his life. As the piece concludes, audiences feel Dr. King’s full humanity, its power, and its limits.
When paired with Duruflé’s Requiem, the two pieces, despite having stark thematic contrasts, encourage deep reflection on the human experience and the ultimate mystery of death. The Washington Chorus dedicates the Requiem in memory of all those that dedicated their lives to the Civil Rights Movement. In Duruflé’s notes on the piece, he explains:
“This Requiem is not an ethereal work that sings of detachment from earthly worries. It reflects, in the immutable form of the Christian prayer, the agony of man faced with the mystery of his ultimate end. It is often dramatic, or filled with resignation, or hope or terror…It tends to translate human feelings before their terrifying, unexplainable of consoling destiny.”
An extreme perfectionist, Duruflé published only 11 works in his lifetime. The Requiem is considered his greatest achievement. The Vichy Regime in Nazi-occupied France originally commissioned Duruflé to write an extended work in 1941. When the regime fell, Duruflé continued his work and published the piece in 1948.
Through the distinctive chant of the Requiem and the vivid texts of “Scenes from the Life of a Martyr,” The Washington Chorus hopers to commemorate Dr. King and provide a welcome reminder of the humanity at the center of his legacy.
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About The Washington Chorus (TWC)
The Washington Chorus (TWC), now in its 62nd season, is one of the foremost symphonic choruses in the nation. Noted for the superb artistry of its performances and recordings of the entire range of the choral repertoire, TWC is widely recognized as a cultural leader in the nation’s capital.
A three-time nominated and two-time Grammy Award winner, the 160-voice Washington Chorus presents an annual series at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, regularly performs at the invitation of the National Symphony Orchestra, and appears annually at the Music Center at Strathmore in Maryland and Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts in Virginia.
TWC was the first major Washington area chorus to be founded independent of a church or college. In 1961 Hugh Hayward, a medical doctor and classically trained musician, founded the Oratorio Society of Montgomery County, which became known as the Oratorio Society of Washington, and is now celebrated under the name of The Washington Chorus. In 1971, Robert Shafer succeeded Hayward as music director, leading the chorus for more than three decades with great distinction, including two Grammy Awards. From 2008–2017 Julian Wachner led the organization with education and innovation at the forefront of his programs. Christopher Bell brought unparalleled attention to precision and clarity to the ensemble with his trademark flair during his tenure as Artistic Director from 2017 to 2020. The Chorus’ fifth Artistic Director Eugene Rogers is widely regarded as one of the most acclaimed next-generation conductors and musical thought leaders today working at the intersection of classical music and social change.
