Legacy of Vision: Martin Luther King

Legacy of Vision: Martin Luther King was commissioned in 1987 by the Jackson Symphony Orchestra and the Michigan Foundation for the Arts. It has been performed by many groups including the St. Louis Symphony, The Cincinnati Symphony, the Toledo Symphony, the Washington (D.C.) Civic Symphony, the Rochester Philarmonic in New York, the Rochester Symphony in Minnesota, and many others. The work’s versatility has also allowed it to be performed by groups like the South Carolina Governor’s School for that Arts, The Fort Wayne Youth Symphony and Tappan Middle School in Ann Arbor, Michigan, who performed the work on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial where Dr. King spoke the famous words, “I have a dream.”

Legendary Baritone William Warfield championed the piece and his interpretation of the narration was always thrilling. A very memorable performance took place on his 80th birthday at Northwestern University. Warfield’s performance with the Champaign-Urbana Symphony, under the direction of Ollie Watts Davis, was broadcast nationally, and was preceded by this poignant recollection of his connection with Dr. King:

Legacy of Vision celebrates Martin Luther King’s life, his determination, his struggles, and above all, the fire he ignited in America’s consciousness: his dream that humankind could transcend the bonds of prejudice and hatred, and that he and his followers could bring about significant change without using violence.

The narration is drawn from some of his most powerful writings, his Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech from 1964, The Drum Major Instinct, a sermon he gave just weeks before his death in 1968, and of course, the I Have a Dream speech that electrified the nation in 1963.  The music includes arrangements of two spirituals, I Got a Robe and Deep River.  The main musical motif is an energetic rising figure that evokes the soaring sense of hope Dr. King was able to create as he held up his vision for America and spoke of his dream for all people – a dream that has lost none of its urgency.

Sound in Body, Mind and Spirit

Henry Ford Allegiance Health commissioned Sound in Body, Mind and Spirit to celebrate their hundredth year of service. Matthew Aubin conducted the Jackson Symphony Orchestra in its world premiere performance on September 29, 2018.

The music begins with exuberant, sweeping melodies and bold fanfares full of optimism and promise. A sudden, dark burst in the low brass creates an ominous foreboding that threatens to overshadow the buoyant mood. The menacing darkness recurs, and becomes more insistent, as poignant, deeper harmonies resonate through the orchestra. Soaring solo melodies evoke a spirit of searching and longing, while other voices, full of caring and empathy, join them. The dark strains almost overwhelm the music, until a small spark of brightness begins to promise renewal. The glimmer of hope grows into a triumphant rise that promises wholeness, abundance and vibrant well-being. The energetic optimism of the opening returns, with even greater strength, as powerful chords celebrate deliverance from the crisis and fresh anticipation of bright tomorrows that lay ahead.

Skyward!

Skyward! was written to honor Matthew Aubin’s appointment as the Music Director of the Jackson Symphony Orchestra. Aubin premiered the piece with the JSO on May 12, 2018, and he conducted this exiting performance with The Chelsea Symphony in New York City on June 2, 2018.

In Skyward!, I tried to create a sense of enthusiasm, boundless energy and limitless possibilities. The opening fanfares speak to me of wide-open, blue-sky optimism and new beginnings. Poignant harmonies in the middle section evoke the spirit of inward, thoughtful dreams and ambitions we all share. Lyric solos in the oboe, flute and trumpet mirror quiet hopes and fears we may not dare to utter aloud. The bold opening sounds return to lead the work into a powerful finish, full of determination and promise.

Psalm of Thanksgiving

Click here to view video of Psalm of Thanksgiving

In a very special concert on April 29th, 2017, Stephen Osmond gave the final performance of his 40-year tenure and stepped down to become the JSO’s Conductor Laureate.  I was honored to have this piece included in that program, and the orchestra gave it a thrilling performance with the wonderful soprano Emily Douglass.

My cousins Stephen, Barbara, Phil and Ruth Ann commissioned Psalm of Thanksgiving as a gift for my Aunt Murzelle, the wife of my namesake, Reverend J. (James) Bruce Brown.  My father, Fred E Brown, wrote a poem for the piece, based on Murzelle’s favorite Bible verse, Psalm 37:4-5: “Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass.”

Here’s that poem:

Psalm of Thanksgiving
By Fred E Brown

I take delight in common things:
the breath of a rose; butterfly wings;
the song a summer shower sings.

In sunsets when there’s need for sleep
and mornings in God’s Castle Keep*;
times to laugh and times to weep.

In sons’ and daughters’ vibrant youth;
a baby’s smile with a single tooth;
in friendships based on love and truth.

In words of poets for the soul;
In music when life takes it toll
And pride in reaching each new goal.

God showers gifts for my delight:
hearing, feeling, knowledge, sight
and grace and mercy day and night.
And grace and mercy day and night.

*Castle keep: “the innermost, strongest structure of a medieval castle”

Excerpts from Love Death and War in the White House

Click these links to view video excerpts of Love, Death and War in the White House:
     Woodrow Wilson Introduces Himself
     Ellen’s Death
     The War

The idea of weaving together a one-person show and an extended musical composition – so the drama and the music both take part in telling the story – has intrigued me for a long time.

When I mentioned this idea to my good friend and colleague, Dr. Paul Patton, he suggested the story of Woodrow Wilson and the death of his wife just as World War I erupted in Europe.  Like all interesting people, Wilson is a man of great strengths and deep flaws, but I found the story of Ellen’s death, as he struggled with such a monumental crisis, very moving.  The redemptive love of his second wife, Edith, just when he needed it most, makes the compelling story even richer.

The Jackson Symphony premiered Love, Death and War in the White House on May 2, 2015, with Paul Patton portraying Woodrow Wilson, under the direction of David Schultz.

“Epiphany” (Movement 2) from Symphony for String Orchestra

This symphony explores the process of growth, healing and spiritual renewal that comes with transitions in our lives.  It depicts safe passage through a personal winter of discontent into the deeper joy that can follow.

An epiphany is a sudden, clarifying flash of insight and recognition.

The Symphony for String Orchestra was recorded by the Prague Radio Symphony under the direction of Vladimir Valek and performed in the historic Rudolfinum Concert Hall in Prague.

“Dulcinea” (Movement 4) from Quixote for Viola and Orchestra

Don Quixote is an endearing and popular character, and I think he represents something deep within all of us – our silly foibles as well as our hopes and dreams!  My piece Quixote has some fun with his eccentricities, but in the “Dulcinea” movement the story turns more serious to celebrate the transforming power of love.

Quixote was written for violist Clyde McKaney, who gave it a thrilling premiere with the Jackson Symphony Orchestra on November 15, 2008.

Let There Be Light

Click here to view video of Let There be Light 

Consumers Energy commissioned this fanfare to help celebrate their 125th anniversary of service as one of Michigan’s largest utility companies.  The work was performed by members of the Jackson Symphony Orchestra’s brass section in a special commemoration event in June of 2012.

Pilgrimage, for Violin and String Orchestra

Click the photo to view video of Pilgrimage:

Like many of my pieces, Pilgrimage mirrors the inner life we all experience, the human spirit growing, learning and becoming something more than it was.  I hope this music captures a sense of lifting our gaze from daily troubles to a higher plane.

This performance features the Spring Arbor University String Orchestra with conductor Bruce Brown and soloist Ashley Elliott.

In This Place

This anthem, based on a poem by Charlotte Broyles, is performed by the Chancel Choir of the First United Methodist Church of Jackson, Michigan, with members of the Jackson Symphony Orchestra. under the direction of Timothy Meunier.

             IN THIS PLACE 

We come to this Holy place, with souls aching from a world of stress.                                   Oh God, grant us rest.

Small are we, in this place of quietness.                                                                           Humbly we ask, Oh, so humbly, for Thy peace.        

Softly, The silence is broken.                                                                                            Melodious sound of pipes surrounds us,                                                                                And oh, how we need Your love.

Voices, blending so completely with beauty and power                                                             of organ, trumpets, bells.                                                                                             Magnificent are their songs of praise to Thee.       

Wondrous music, quaking beyond these lofty rafters,                                                                and the breath of God is felt, The breath of God.         

Our souls are lifted up to heights unseen,                                                                             hear us as we pray, Bless this house Oh Lord! 

As the gift of music, ebbs itself into a beautiful silence,                                                       Rest, peace, love are ours  

In This Place.

Charlotte M. Broyles