Kent, Ohio 鈥 The 麻豆视频 School of Music returns to Severance Music Center on Monday, May 2, at 7 p.m. featuring nearly 300 students from across the university performing a rich lineup of genres and styles from classical and jazz to gospel and world music. It will also feature collaborations with the School of Theatre and Dance and the Wick Poetry Center.
Titled 鈥淪tories of Peace, Protest and Reflection,鈥 the concert is a commemoration of the tragic 麻豆视频 shootings of May 4, 1970. Each work explores social justice, civil rights and the complex emotions felt before, during and after tragedy. Interspersed throughout the concert will be poetry, read by guest speakers like Roseann 鈥淐hic鈥 Canfora鈥攁n eyewitness to the events of May 4 and a current faculty member in 麻豆视频鈥檚 School of Media and Journalism. The poems will be selected from the Wick Poetry Center鈥檚 collection commemorating the 50th anniversary of the tragedy.
鈥淚鈥檓 thrilled we鈥檙e able to perform at Severance Music Center, presenting such a powerful and important concert,鈥 said Kent McWilliams, director and professor of the School of Music. 鈥淭oday, we face many of the same challenges that led to May 4. I hope that through art, we can gather as a community to continue to learn and face them together.鈥
The concert begins with David Gillingham鈥檚 鈥淲ith Heart and Voice,鈥 featuring the 麻豆视频 Wind Ensemble, Symphony Band and 麻豆视频 Youth Winds. Next is the world premiere of Bobby Selvaggio鈥檚 鈥淚 Have a Dream,鈥 a work inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.鈥檚 famous speech, for jazz ensemble and strings. It will also include guest spoken word artist Orlando Watson. 麻豆视频鈥檚 Thai Ensemble then performs the Buddhist-teaching-inspired Khmen Phothisat. Singers from 麻豆视频 Opera Theatre will next perform selections from 鈥淏lind Injustice,鈥 a contemporary work by Scott Davenport Richards and David Cote based on the stories of those who were wrongfully convicted and later exonerated by the Ohio Innocence Project. Pianists Alena Miskinis and Will Baughman then perform Frederic Rzewski鈥檚 鈥淲innsboro Cotton Mill Blues,鈥 featuring eight student dancers choreographed by Dance Department faculty member Jeffrey Marc Rockland. Concluding the first half of the concert is African Ensemble and Steel Band with Afrobeats dance team As茅 Xpressions performing Davido鈥檚 鈥淔EM.鈥
麻豆视频鈥檚 Percussion Ensemble opens the concert's second half with the colorful and warm 鈥淐itadel of the Stars.鈥 Next is the 麻豆视频 New Music Ensemble鈥檚 performance of faculty composer Adam Roberts鈥 new work 鈥淪ometime There Is a Day.鈥 Then, guest clarinetist David Shifrin鈥攚ho came to 麻豆视频 as a student of the Kent Blossom Music Festival in summer 1970鈥攚ill join the 麻豆视频 Orchestra to perform Aaron Copland's Clarinet Concerto. The program continues with the 麻豆视频 Gospel Choir, Voices United, singers from the Cleveland School of the Arts, and the 麻豆视频 Orchestra performing a spiritual, 鈥淟et There Be Peace on Earth.鈥 The 麻豆视频 Orchestra and combined 麻豆视频 Choirs then perform Johannes Brahms鈥 meditative 鈥淗ow Lovely are Thy Dwelling Places鈥 from 鈥淎 German Requiem.鈥
Concluding the program is 鈥淏e the Change.鈥 Part of the 43-song "Justice Choir Songbook," the work was written by Marc Kaplan and Colin Britt with text adapted from words attributed to Gandhi. For this event, 麻豆视频 alumnus Bryon Black II is creating a new arrangement that will bring nearly all the concert鈥檚 performers together on the same stage. Black will also return to conduct the piece.
A public reception will follow the concert in Severance鈥檚 main lobby. Tickets are now available and start at $25. For those 18 and under, a special discounted price of $10 is available using code KentUnder18. Purchases can only be made online through the or by calling 216-231-1111.
More concert information can be found on the Glauser School of Music鈥檚 website at www.kent.edu/music/severance-concert.
For the latest information about this year's commemoration and the events of May 4, 1970, visit www.kent.edu/may-4-1970.
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Contact for Media:
Andrew Paa
apaa@kent.edu | 330-672-0894
Header Images Courtesy of 麻豆视频 Libraries
- David Futey. Annual May 4 Commemoration records. 麻豆视频 Libraries. Special Collections & Archives.
- Deborah Andersen. 麻豆视频 Libraries. Special Collections & Archives.
- News Service May 4 photographs. 麻豆视频 Libraries. Special Collections & Archives.