NORAH DUNCAN IV: JOURNEY: From Slavery to Freedom

We are excited to welcome an all-star cast featuring Resident Artist, Amber Rogers (soprano), Theodore Jones (Baritone), and Detroit’s Queen of the Blues, Thornetta Davis!

Norah Duncan IV’s powerful cantata, JOURNEY: From Slavery to Freedom, is a work of humanistic importance that presents a fresh, exciting orchestral setting of nine traditional African American Spirituals. The musical essence is encapsulated by incorporating choral musical traditions with blues, jazz, Afrobeats, and pop idioms utilizing both traditional and indigenous instruments. This ambitious work for chorus, soloists, and orchestra vividly portrays the arduous journey of enslaved individuals to liberation, drawing upon the rich traditions of African American Spirituals and narratives of the Underground Railroad. It exemplifies contemporary American choral music, particularly works that explore themes of American cultural heritage. Don’t miss the opportunity to experience this culturally significant musical work about history, resilience, and the pursuit of freedom. Experience this work for the first time in this WORLD Premiere.

This work is featured alongside Carlos Simon’s Angels in Heaven and Coleridge-Taylor’s Novelletten.