Celebrating 250 Years of American Democracy Through Song
Johnson C. Smith University Choir announces its Spring Concert entitled, “We Hold These Truths” under the direction of Dr. Angelica Brooks. For their Spring Concert, the program will participate in the Sing Democracy 250— All America Program, part of the nationwide Sing Democracy 250 initiative commemorating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence: a movement of resilience, a chorus of hope, and a celebration of the values that define us as Americans.
In this call for civic engagement through song, choirs from across the country, of all sizes, traditions, and backgrounds, have been encouraged to create and share their own performances as part of this commemorative event. Upon registration, participating ensembles receive free copies of the newly commissioned pieces, empowering communities everywhere to mark America’s 250th anniversary through these unique new works. As of Labor Day, the All America Program has commitments from more than 150+ choirs for over 80+ planned performances in 2026 across 35 states and the District of Columbia.
The newly commissioned works include:
- Redeem the Dream, composed by Dr. Brandon A. Boyd: Redeem the Dream is based on Langston Hughes’ poem “Let America Be America Again,” written in 1935. The poem reflects on the gap between the ideals of American democracy as articulated in the Declaration of Independence and the reality experienced by many people over our history. Yet the poem ends with hope that America can live up to its promises of freedom, equality, and opportunity for all. The poet affirms that we, the people, can and must redeem the vision of America and make America what it is intended to be. Hughes’ poem is introduced by words from the Declaration of Independence.
- US, composed by Michael Bussewitz-Quarm: US was inspired by Richard Haass’ book The Bill of Obligations, published in 2023, a bold call for Americans to adopt the habits of good citizenship. This piece begins with an urgent invitation, then presents, and unpacks, each of 10 obligations of good citizens with quotations from a diverse group of Americans, from founding fathers to living Americans. These quotes explain each obligation and, in so doing, demonstrate that each of these obligations has been understood and practiced throughout America’s history. The piece concludes with an inspiring call to citizenship, encouraging all citizens to adopt these obligations as an action plan for renewing American democracy.
This will be the choir’s first Spring Concert in many years and will serve as opportunity for the community to hear the newly expanded choir since Dr. Brooks assumed the role of Director of Choral Activities. The concert will be presented in partnership with orchestra students from the Northwest School of the Arts.
