Cedric Berry
(Photo by Kevin Tu)
John Malveaux of
www.MusicUNTOLD.com
writes:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/santa-monica-symphonys-annual-martin-luther-king-concert_us_5a5d8612e4b003efadb6b08e
John Malveaux
HuffPost
Ira Israel, Contributor
Psychotherapist & Author
Dovetailing with Oprah Winfey’s inspirational Golden Globe speech regarding a new day appearing on the horizon, this weekend the Santa Monica Symphony performed an exquisitely programmed concert celebrating freedom, justice, and equality. One of the Santa Monica’s oldest treasures and a city icon now in its 73rd season, the orchestra provides classical music concerts free to the public five times per year.
Sponsored in part by the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Westside Coalition, the concert featured primarily American music. Aaron Copland’s familiar “Fanfare for the Common Man” opened the program, followed by an orchestration of Duke Ellington’s composition “Black, Brown, and Beige,” then “Te Deum” by Puccini and a stellar rendition of Joseph Schwantner’s stunning and captivating piece “New Morning for the World.” University of Southern California faculty member and highly accomplished bass-baritone, Cedric Berry, served as narrator for “New Morning for the World” commemorating Martin Luther King’s legacy with pivotal excerpts from King’s speeches set to dramatic flourishes.
The familiar opening tones of Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man” set the stage for an unparalleled program. Ellington’s “Black, Brown and Beige,” was an aptly chosen piece for Martin Luther King weekend because it recounts African American history and incorporates spirituals, the blues, and a section entitled “Emancipation Celebration.” The first half of the concert finished with the colossal power and lyricism of Cedric Berry’s voice as he grandly empowered Puccini’s “Te Deum” aria from “Tosca.”
