GU Concert Choir, GU Orchestra, and Cafritz Young Artists of Washington National Opera: The Music and Activism of Margaret Bonds

Saturday, April 2, 2022 at 5 p.m.
(Pre-concert lecture from 4:15-4:45 p.m. with Dr. Michael Cooper, Historian and editor)  

GU Orchestra
Prof. Angel Gil-Ordóñez, Music Director

and GU Concert Choir
Prof. Frederick Binkholder, Music Director

The Music and Activism of Margaret Bonds
An evening of newly published works by the 20th Century composer and activist Margaret Bonds
Featuring
Georgetown University Orchestra – Professor Angel Gil-Ordóñez, director
Georgetown University Concert Choir – Professor Frederick Binkholder, director
Cafritz Young Artists of Washington National Opera – Katerina Burton, Soprano, Christian Simmons, Bass-Baritone

This evening’s concert will bring together a performance of rarely heard works by the 20th century composer and activist Margaret Bonds. Selections of her cantata Simon Bore the Cross, which was premiered by the Concert Choir of Georgetown University at the Kennedy Center in 2018, will be set against other monumental and unfortunately relatively unknown works also born of her unceasing work in the civil rights movement: Montgomery Variations for orchestra, and her multimovement setting of W.E.B. DuBois’ text Credo for orchestra and chorus.

Concert Choir:

         Selections from Simon Bore the Cross – Margaret Bonds, ed. F.B.

         Prelude to Simon Bore the Cross

         Pilate’s Solo – Christian Simmons, Bass-Baritone

         Don’t you know, Mary?

         Who is that Man? – Katerina Burton, Soprano

         He Never said a Mumb’lin’ Word

Orchestra:

         Montgomery Variations  – Margaret Bonds, ed. M.C.

Orchestra and Chorus

         Credo – Margaret Bonds, ed. M.C.

                     Katerina Burton, Soprano, Christian Simmons, Bass-Baritone

GASTON HALL, HEALY BUILDING
FREE, Register on Eventbrite