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 :

Download audio file: “Dream of Freedom” (11.4 MB)

Warm Regards,

James Durham

Hello everyone! I just posted a “special music episode” of FETIDUS over at FETIDUS.org and it’s a wee bit relevant for this website as well. Visit the FETIDUS.org version of this page or feel free to download the music below. Here’s the text from the other page:

I have something special here for you, folks! I’ve taken some of the music I’ve written for FETIDUS and put together 13-14 minutes of excerpts for your listening pleasure. They’re not final versions, but they’re close enough to give you a good feel for how the soundtrack is shaping up, and to give you a tasty morsel of that special FETIDUS atmosphere. Enjoy! And let me know what you think! Please, download it, close your eyes, and enter into the world of Art Blanchard and FETIDUS.

Special Music Episode 1:
00:00 – Intro from James
Music Excerpts:
03:09 – Retribution
05:07 – Mahrud Movement #9
08:15 – Deathsquad Reaper
09:34 – Intense Cogitation
11:27 – Activation by 5
12:42 – KA Texture
13:45 – A Slow March Through Hell

Thanks for listening! If you enjoy this special music episode, please share it!

Click below to listen to FETIDUS: The Damned Heir – Music Excerpts 1:

Download audio file: “FETIDUS: The Damned Heir – Music Excerpts 1” (30.7 MB)