Thursday, Jul 24, 2025 at 7:30pm
Echoes of the past, voices of the future
Get a sneak peak at our upcoming commercial album live in concert! At the heart of this program lies The American Road: Six Songs of the Enslaved, Embattled and Emancipated by Nigerian-American composer Shawn E. Okpebholo. In this new large-scale work, Okpebholo reimagines folk songs and spirituals—including an original by Rhiannon Giddens—that both honor the pain and resilience of the past and inspire hope for the future. Be among the first to hear this momentous work paired alongside commissions from our recent past, which we plan to include in a new album coming in 2026. Kile Smith’s Northland infuses the poetry of Harlem Renaissance writer Claude McKay with jazz, blues, and melodic lyricism to describe the Jamaican immigrant’s experiences in his new home. The bilingual work Caminante (Traveler) by Jocelyn Hagen exemplifies musically and poetically the miracle of people from all walks of life coming together as fellow travelers. The Tipping Point by Indian-American composer Reena Esmail combines Western and Indian musical techniques to portray the constant struggle between light and darkness, and that miraculous moment of the scale tipping in favor of light. Pianist Nathan Salazar and tabla player Sutanu Sur join the twenty-four Desert Chorale vocal artists for a journey through American choral music.
Planned Repertoire:
Sweet Rivers – Shawn Kirchner (b. 1970)
Northland – Kile Smith (b. 1956)
I. The Tropics in New York
II. America
III. On Broadway
IV. To One Coming North
Caminante – Jocelyn Hagen (b. 1980)
The Tipping Point – Reena Esmai (b. 1983)
The American Road (World Premiere Commission) – Shawn Okpebholo (b. 1981)
I. Prepare Me One Body
II. Little Cuckoo
III. Left Foot, Peg Foot (Follow the Drinking Gourd)
IV. Battle Cry
V. Shall We Gather at the River
VI. Shine (This Little Light of Mine)
Additional Dates:
