ascendperformingarts.org VS.

jwpepper.com

Honoring the lives and legacies of enslaved people from 1619 to 1865 as well as contemporary Black martyrs who sacrificed for equality and freedom, this powerful choral and orchestral multimovement work is a strong statement of the resilience and complexity of Black American history. Blending idiomatic Black musical genres with Western European composition styles, it creates a unique and profound musical journey in 13 movements that traces the Black experience from West Africa through the Middle Passage, slavery, and sharecropping in the South to the civil rights movement and today's ongoing fight against racism and injustice. It features soprano and tenor soloists, a rapper, and a narrator along with the choir and full orchestra supplemented with African percussion. The libretto incorporates narratives from enslaved people, sharecroppers, and contemporary activists, offering an aesthetic experience that both commemorates and challenges.