Abstract
Based on a tune originally written during the plague, Awake, Arise! revitalizes a 500-year old tune with the words of black authors, activists, and artists who breathe new life into the music of J.S. Bach. The result is a dramatic musical composition calling upon us to acknowledge injustice and work together to be the change we wish to see. The work was premiered to wide acclaim in March 2021 online and represents a dramatic shift in the musical world of how to re-frame an established work of the canon in a way that makes it newly relevant and more representative of the community at large. For the musicians, spoken word artists, and the artists of color whose work is displayed alongside those that are centuries old, it represents an opportunity to participate in art-making within a field often populated by a racially and socioeconomically homogenous group. For the audience, it gives voice to the people of color whose voices are often hidden or suppressed in fine art. Finally, it calls the white community to reflect on the ways in which our institutions such as orchestras, choirs, and museums often favor one race over another, and provides a challenge for how to embody the change we want to see in the world…today.
Presenters
Chris LudwaAssistant Professor of Music, Fine Arts, Kalamazoo College, Michigan, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
2021 Special Focus: What Museums Post Pandemic?
KEYWORDS
Race, Activism, Innovation, Performance Art
