Some music in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Due to a lack of funding, the Baltimore Symphony is not presenting its annual Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial concert in conjunction with the State of Maryland, a considerable loss to the community. If all goes well, the event will return next year. Meanwhile, here are a couple of MLK-related performances around the area worth catching.
On Monday at Baltimore's An die Musik, Opus Nine, the imaginative young chamber ensemble that features several Peabody Conservatory alumni, will give matinee and evening performances of an appealing program that aims "to celebrate the vitality of [Dr. King's] dream." The lineup includes John Williams' "Air and Simple Gifts" (composed for the Obama inauguration) and Gershwin's "Lullaby" for string quartet, as well as works by Duke Ellington, Darius Milhaud and Ricky Ian Gordon.
On Tuesday at the Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts in Annapolis, the
Washington Symphonic Brass will perform Joseph Schwantner's "New Morning for the World," an affecting work that incorporates selections from King's writings (Bill Ray will be the narrator). Music by Scott Joplin, Duke Ellington and Wynton Marsalis will also be played.
Here's my own humble contribution to the MLK holiday -- a live performance by legendary contralto Marian Anderson from 1939 (the same year of her triumphant concert at the Lincoln Memorial after being barred from Constitution Hall). Something about the spiritual "Deep River" seems particularly appropriate on this occasion, especially the line "That promised land where all is peace," and it would be impossible to surpass the eloquence Miss Anderson achieves here:
Comments
A Great Person I’m doing a study on him and I luvvvvvvvvv him that’s why I picked him. Martin Luther King was one of the worlds beautiful human beings, a Soul who lived for a purpose…sadly he was assassinated and taken from us too soon. But I’m not so sure that Barack Obama becoming president was exactly what the “King” had in mind… This was a great incite in to the great man though…
http://ketiva.com/News_and_Events/the_reality_of_martin_luther_kings_dream.html
Posted by: markmarks | January 18, 2010 9:19 PM
Happy Martin Luther King day. We always lost golden time and man but unfortunately we can't realized that. Let us try to be another one. Let us Salute to KING.
Posted by: DrKeithCurrie | January 19, 2010 8:31 AM
What you stood for lives on!Flesh passes, dreams live on,what a dream ,you dreamed for us!
it's fruition is more and more prevalent every day!, like a prophet of old!your words continue to blossom :)
heres is some interesting information I found on the late great Martin Luther king.
http://ketiva.com/News_and_Events/the_celebration_of__martin_luther_king_jr_commemoration_day.html
Posted by: David3737 | January 19, 2010 6:53 PM