• Sign In
  • ACDA.org
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
ChoralNet

ChoralNet

The professional networking site for the global online choral community.

  • Home
  • Blog
  • ACDA News
  • Events
  • Community
    • Announcements
    • Classifieds

Choral Resources in Honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day

January 15, 2018 by Amanda Bumgarner 1 Comment


(Photo By John Littlewood/The Christian Science Monitor via Getty Images)

Today in the United States we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr Day. In remembrance of King’s dream for racial equality, I want to draw your attention to a few resources relevant to this topic. Last year I posted a ChoralNet blog previewing a 2016 Choral Journal article “On Our Way: Programming a Martin Luther King Jr. Concert for Youth Choir” by Anthony Trecek-King. You can read that post here.

An excerpt: “A substantial amount of music from many eras, genres, and sources has been written relating to civil rights and social justice, much of which would make an excellent choice to include in a concert celebration for Martin Luther King Jr.  However, youth and children choral conductors face considerable complications with respect to researching and selecting music. While the Civil Rights Movement and the struggle for freedom is bursting with music, discovering literature that has been composed or arranged for chorus and, more specifically, for the requirements of a youth choir, remains elusive. Youth choirs are distinct ensembles, and programming for their specific needs should always be considered.”

The November 2017 issue of Choral Journal was an entire focus issue devoted to Diversity Initiatives, edited and compiled by ACDA’s standing committee for Diversity Initiatives. That issue included the following articles:

Is All Music for Everyone? by Penelope Cruz

Toward Socially Inclusive Music Organizations: Promoting Socioeconomic Diversity in Choral Ensembles by Julia T. Shaw

An American Choral Tapestry by Angela Broeker and Jason Harris

The November 2017 issue also included a few diversity resources: Stephen Sieck’s new book Teaching with Respect and sevenlastwords.org–a website highlighting Joel Thompson’s critically acclaimed composition, The Seven Last Words of the Unarmed, and the performance of this piece by the Michigan men’s Glee Club under the direction of Eugene Rogers. That website shares additional educational resources for high schools, universities, and professional organizations.

I hope some of these may be helpful to you as you consider future performances.


Filed Under: Choral Culture, Choral Journal Tagged With: ACDA Publications, American Choral Directors Association, Choral Journal, CJ Replay, Diversity, Repertoire

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. David Burger says

    January 15, 2018 at 4:45 pm

    I’d like to draw your attention to “Martin’s Dream”, based on Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” Speech. I think it appropriate to the commemoration of his birthday, his life and his dream.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2GXgoku0dg (for soloists, piano, flute, cello and with a slide show) and
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttqLQsuwT9I&t=41s (SATB with piano, flute and cello.)

    Log in to Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

  • ACDA.org
  • The ChoralNet Daily Newsletter

Advertise on ChoralNet

On This Day
May 23

Ludwig van Beethoven’s only opera, “Fidelio,” was staged successfully in Vienna’s Kärntnertortheater on this day in 1814.

Would you like to submit a blog post for consideration?

Are you interested in becoming a regular ChoralNet blogger? Please contact ACDA Director of Membership & Communications Sundra Flansburg at .

RSS JW Pepper

  • Community Choir Spotlight: Virginia Beach Chorale
  • Community Choir Spotlight: The Wilmington Children’s Chorus
  • Community Choir Spotlight: The Sycamore Community Singers
  • Community Choir Spotlight: Allegro Choirs of Kansas City
  • Community Choir Spotlight: Turtle Creek Chorale
  • Community Choir Spotlight: The Central Dakota Children’s Choir
  • Community Choir Spotlight: The Women’s Chorus of Dallas
  • Vocal Health Tips: How Choral Directors Can Help Students
  • Community Choir Spotlight: The Mankato Children’s Chorus
  • Pepper Spotlight: The David Johnson Chorus

RSS NAfME

  • NAfME Endorses the Advancing Equity Through the Arts and Humanities Act
  • Using Technology to Enhance Your School Concert
  • Retirement Prep Top Ten Treasures
  • Legislative Priorities for Fiscal Year 2023
  • “My Students Make Almost All of the Musical Choices for the Ensemble” 
  • Six Renowned Conductors to Lead the 2022 NAfME All-National Honor Ensembles
  • Getting the Most Out of Your Band or Orchestra Method
  • NAfME Members Named CMA Foundation Music Teachers of Excellence
  • Three Tips for Teaching Music Online, from Teachers College, Columbia University
  • How You Can Make a Difference for Music Education in the Federal Appropriations Process

Footer

Connect with us!

  • Home
  • About
  • Help
  • Contact Us
  • ACDA.org

Recent Blogs

  • Rejuvenating France’s Choir School Tradition: An Interview with Mark Opstad
  • Memorial Day Performance? Keep It Simple!!
  • Finding My Voice with Brittney E. Boykin
  • Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Try Mind Over Matter–If You Don’t Mind, It Doesn’t Matter
  • Best. Interview. Ever! “Doing whatever it takes” with Superstar Deke Sharon

American Choral Directors Association

PO Box 1705
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
73101-1705

© 2022 American Choral Directors Association. All rights reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy