ANTHONY LUIS SANCHEZ: Composer and Musicologist
  • Home
  • News
    • Archive
  • Works
    • Compositions
    • Musicology
    • Publications
    • Iberian, Latin American, and Caribbean VGM
  • Gallery
    • Photos
  • Blog
  • Contact

Contemporary Classical Music in Remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

1/17/2021

1 Comment

 
For the past several years, I have been researching the musicological and cultural aspects of African and Latin American studies. As we commemorate the impact of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I would like to take a moment to share some examples of pieces by composers inspired by his words and actions. New Morning for the World (1983) by Joseph Schwantner (b. 1943) is an orchestral piece with narrator that features selected text from Dr. King. While most of the text for this work derives from King’s Civil Rights speeches from the 1960s, Schwantner presents this material in fragments to try and offer a more thorough portrayal beyond the “I Have a Dream” speech. Schwanter utilizes texts that concentrate more on chronicling the struggle against oppression and racial inequality. Another piece that deserves mention is “His Light Still Shines” (2002) by contemporary choral composer Moses Hogan (1957-2003). Like New Morning for the World, Hogan incorporates the use of narrator, albeit with a choir. “His Light Still Shines” also serves as a commemoration of the life of Dr. King and his accomplishments, with selected arrangements of spirituals. Most important, Hogan encourages audiences  to neither forget nor diminish the legacy of Dr. King decades after his passing. You can find the recording to this piece here. 
Picture

1 Comment

    Author

    ​DMA. Composer of acoustic and electronic music. Pianist. Experimental film.

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    January 2025
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    February 2024
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    June 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    March 2018
    June 2017

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.