BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- As Birmingham remembers the seminal civil rights events that occurred 50 years ago, one annual concert has stood as a beacon of remembrance and hope for several years.
's
"Reflect and Rejoice," a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. co-sponsored by the
and PNC Bank, will take place on its usual date close to the MLK holiday. But it takes on special significance in 2013.
The struggle for equality spearheaded by Dr. King, Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth and others, and the sacrifices of countless Birmingham citizens in their quest to realize the dream, will play out in music -- specifically, in two new compositions by Grammy winner and UAB professor
.
Central to the concert's theme is the September 15, 1963, bombing of the
, which took the lives of four young girls. Panion's works, both ASO commissions, will be premiered, the first titled "Here We Are," the second, "Send Me Hope." Panion described them as "bookends," the first based on a well-known spiritual, the second a contemporary gospel ballad.
"I think people who love contemporary gospel, and those who love spirituals, will be able to see the connection," said Panion. "The goal is not to shy away from the tragedy but to bring that forth in the music, also to bridge the messages from that day and those same messages that are relevant today."
Delivering those messages most poignantly will be the Girls of the 16th Street Baptist Church Choir, who will be singing alongside the Aeolians, from Oakwood University in Huntsville, for "Here We Are." Based on the spiritual, "Give Me Jesus," the lyrics potentially give rise to powerful emotions, and although the girls in the choir are well aware of the legacy they will represent, Panion had to make one concession.
What: Alabama Symphony Orchestra: "Reflect and Rejoice: A Musical Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr."
Performers: Roderick Cox, conductor; Daniel Szasz, violinist; Aeolians of Oakwood College, Huntsville; Girls of 16th St. Baptist Church Choir.
On the program: Alvin Singleton, "Miaka Kumi"; Henry Panion III, "Here We Are" (ASO commission, world premiere); William Grant Still, "Suite for Violin and Orchestra"; Panion, "Send Me Hope" (ASO commission, world premiere); Beethoven, Symphony No. 5
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"It is a mainstream spiritual," he said. "'When I am alone, give me Jesus. I heard my mother say, give me Jesus. When I come to die, give me Jesus.' I didn't incorporate that last line. I thought about it, and with those girls representing the girls who were bombed, I didn't want to do that line."
The work conveys the feeling of being in church, the suspense of the day's events, and their aftermath. Even though that one line is omitted, the underlying idea that the four girls are with Jesus is present.
"We wanted to make sure the (girls in the choir) were fully aware that we're trying to commemorate what happened on that awful day, to celebrate the legacy and everything that has come from it. Bad things may happen to you, but good things can come from them."
The work is sad and reverent at the same time, Panion said.
"The notion is that we all have all kinds of troubles in our lives, and even though we recognize that the girls are no longer with their parents and friends, there's consolation in knowing that perhaps they are with Jesus."
ASO assistant conductor Roderick Cox, who is working closely with Panion, was also drawn into the emotions of the score.
"It's such a powerful piece, almost too powerful for me," said Cox, who grew up in Macon, Ga., and attended a predominantly African-American church. "I thought it might be too powerful for performance. Then I started to think about how we can get the message across. The whole concert is about reflecting and remembering, taking a journey forward from there."
Panion's second work, "Send Me Hope," does just that. Scored for orchestra, choir and soprano solo, it leans more toward contemporary gospel.
"It is the same message but with contemporary harmonies," Panion said. âIn contemporary gospel you may talk about other ills in our society -- family, health, whatever -- it is still the same message. It may be more personal."
Cox will conduct ASO, the Aeolians and Marquita Anthony, who Panion describes as a "powerful singer."
Rounding out the program will be "Miaka Kumi," by Atlanta composer Alvin Singleton, whose works have appeared twice before on ASO's "Reflect and Rejoice" programs; William Grant Still's "Suite for Violin and Orchestra," with violinist Daniel Szasz the soloist; and Beethoven's Symphony No. 5.
Cox had a perfectly good explanation for the last piece:
"It's hard to compare the times in which Beethoven lived to those of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., but we know that Beethoven was outspoken for freedom and liberty," said Cox. "We also know that Dr. King was a big classical music fan, and Coretta Scott King majored in classical voice. Beethoven's Fifth punctuates the entire program, starting from the darkness of the moment and throughout the symphony moving to light, to hope, to celebration."
As in ASO's past tributes to Dr. King, the gamut of repertoire in this concert is what has helped define its uniqueness.
"I have seen many MLK concerts in the past," said Cox, an award-winning conductor and Northwestern University graduate. "This one is very special because we've thought about how each piece connects. The title is 'Reflect and Rejoice.' What comes afterward is the healing. That's what 'Send Me Hope' provides. In the past, it has been one of the only things African-American could look for, what kept them going -- hope and Jesus."