What a day! Monday, January 18th, 2010, was a fantastic day indeed, as I was thrilled to participate in a wonderful program celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC! I was privileged to share a new piece of music entitled “Dream of Freedom” which I composed specifically for the event, to which my wife choreographed an inspirational dance. She and the lovely Duncan Dancers performed this beautiful new dance in front of an audience of 2500+ people who had gathered together to honor Dr. King!
I can’t imagine a more beautiful venue for the event, with the soaring cathedral lifting the spirits of the entire audience, as we all reflected upon the profound legacy of Dr. King. The program was filled with inspirational music, dance and spoken word that helped capture the message of freedom and dignity of the human soul.
I have to admit, I was excited when the MC — the Godfather of Go-Go himself, Chuck Brown — announced our names before our segment of the program. His incredibly deep, signature voice was unforgettable to me, and put a huge grin on my face. And then the dancers performed the choreography with a lightness of step, beauty and hope that conveyed the message we wanted to share. Their majestic, spiraling motions and Isadora Duncan-inspired tunics and scarves recalled a sense of freedom and a dream-like quality I tried to capture in the music. The music and dance came together to hopefully uplift the audience and take them on a journey of reflection, into a dream of freedom.
The project was a collaboration with my wife, Valerie, and it had additional personal meaning for us. We’ve had several collaborations before, but this one was the most challenging so far, taking into account the short time for preparation, the audience, venue and desire to convey just the right message. I guess this one worked out, so I expect more collaborations to come in the future!
Finally, a word of thanks to the staff at the National Cathedral. They are a true class act and were consummate professionals. Thank you in particular to Cori and Mark for making our experience so seamless. It’s always a distinct pleasure to work with pros.
Below, you will find a link to the National Cathedral website, where you can view the performance. Skip ahead to 1:10 if you just want to see our segment.
http://www.nationalcathedral.org/webcasts/mlk2010.shtml
The streaming video above is low-resolution, so I’ll see if I can get a higher-resolution clip in the near future. The audio is also low-res, so below you can click on a better recording of the music. It’s not a perfect mix for sure, but given the time I had available, it was able to convey the essence of the message.
If you enjoy this music and dance, please feel free to share it!
Click below to listen to Dream of Freedom :
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Download audio file: “Dream of Freedom” (11.4 MB)
Warm Regards,
James Durham
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
I was at the Cathedral and had to find the music to this performance. It was very moving and I would love to hear more… the gorgeous choreography and dancing was inspiring. Together, the music and dance were the best part of the event! Thank you both so much! dd-v