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ECHOES
In This Issue:
Dr. Brandau Continues First Season with MCC
Mini Subscriptions Available
MLK Portrayer Joins MCC in I Have a Dream
Program Notes
Test your MLK Knowledge
MCC Announces Scholarship Auditions
What’s on your mind?
Welcome to the “March 2013”issue of ECHOES, targeted to fans and audience of the Monmouth Civic
Chorus. Look for an issue of ECHOES in your e-mail before each of our upcoming concerts.
Dr. Brandau Continues First Season with Monmouth Civic Chorus
Dr. Ryan Brandau continues his first season as Artistic Director and Conductor of the awardwinning Monmouth Civic Chorus’s 2012-13 season.
The Chorus returns to the Count Basie Theatre with I Have a Dream on Saturday, March 16,
2013 at 8:00 pm. This unique concert honors the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s
iconic speech, and the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. Through music, readings,
and reflections, the program will explore the growth of freedom in our country’s history. The music
will range from African-American spirituals and Civil War songs to more contemporary pieces like a
choral arrangement of U2’s moving tribute, MLK. Tickets are $30 for premium seating ($27 seniors,
$25 groups, $10 students), and $25 regular seating ($22 seniors, $20 groups, $5 students). Tickets and
information are available at www.monmouthcivicchorus.org or (732) 933-9333.
The season closes with Maurice Duruflé’s exquisite Requiem, paired with Triptych, composed
by Tarik O’Regan in 2005. Duruflé interpreted the traditional Latin mass for the dead as a vision of
peace and harmony. Dr. Brandau notes that Triptych “marries rhythmic, syncopated, jubilant passages
with moments of stunning, ethereal tranquility. The music is at once accessible, haunting, and
infectious.” Karin Gargone of Neptune, a faculty member at Ocean County Community College and
Music Associate at Toms River Presbyterian Church, will be the organist. The concert is on Friday,
May 31, 2013, at 7:30 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, 255 Harding Road (Tower Hill), Red
Bank. Single tickets are $25 ($22 seniors, $20 groups, $5 students).
Ryan Brandau holds the Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees from the Yale
School of Music, an MPhil in historical musicology from the University of Cambridge (United
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Kingdom), and a BA in Music from Princeton University. He returned to the New York/New Jersey
area from California, where he was the Artistic Director of the Santa Clara Chorale and the Director of
Choral Activities and faculty member at Santa Clara University. Dr. Brandau is Artistic Director of
Princeton Pro Musica and works with the Symphonic Choir at Westminster Choir College of Rider
University.
The Monmouth Civic Chorus has been called "close to perfect" (Asbury Park Press), "alive and
evocative" (The Star-Ledger) and "exceptional" (Red Bank Green). The Chorus is the proud recipient
of the 2008 ASCAP/Chorus America Alice Parker Award, and the 2010 Spinnaker Award for Arts and
Culture from the Eastern Monmouth Area Chamber of Commerce.
Mini Subscriptions Available
We hope you'll want to join us for more music led by our inspiring new Artistic Director, Dr.
Ryan Brandau. We'd like to offer you a mini-subscription so you can enjoy our next two concerts at a
special price: I Have a Dream in March and Duruflé’s exquisite Requiem in May. A minisubscription gives you premium seating at both concerts for $45, a 20% savings off the cost of single
tickets. A student mini-subscription is only $15. This offer is only available until March 6 at
monmouthcivicchorus.org or by phone at 732-933-9333 (offer not valid at Count Basie Theatre web
site or box office).
MLK Portrayer Joins Monmouth Civic Chorus in I Have a Dream
Darrell Lawrence Willis, Sr. will portray Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the Monmouth Civic
Chorus concert I Have a Dream on Saturday, March 16, 2013 at 8:00 pm. at the Count Basie Theatre,
99 Monmouth Street, Red Bank, New Jersey.
Darrell Lawrence Willis, Sr. is a native son of Long Branch and a graduate of Long Branch
Senior High School. He holds a BA in Communications and Theater Arts from Susquehanna
University and MA in Theater Studies from Montclair State University, and studied extensively at
Rutgers University Mason Gross School of the Arts. He is a faculty member at Brookdale Community
College and Artistic Director of the Dunbar Repertory Company.
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Notes on the Program
When President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863,
he said, "I never, in my life, felt more certain that I was doing right than I do in signing this paper." In
Boston, Frederick Douglass called the Proclamation a "worthy celebration of the first step on the part
of the nation in its departure from the thraldom of the ages." It was indeed a first step; the impact of the
Emancipation Proclamation was more symbolic than practical. The Proclamation only freed the slaves
in the 10 Confederate states still in rebellion, where the governors were hardly inclined to comply.
Slavery continued in border states, even in a few Northern states that still allowed it. Ever the
politician, Lincoln undoubtedly had strategic goals in mind. The Proclamation served as a warning to
Southern states to surrender or they would lose slavery as the basis of their economic survival. It also
encouraged Union support by Britain and France, where slavery had already been abolished. The
Proclamation strengthened Lincoln’s military hand by allowing black men to enlist in the Union Army
and Navy. By the end of the Civil War, more than 200,000 did so. As Union forces swept through the
Confederacy, officers were sent to slave quarters to announce to the astonished residents that they were
now free.
By August 28, 1963, the promise of the Emancipation Proclamation was still not fully realized.
As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said that day on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, “Five score years
ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation
Proclamation…. But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free.” The indignity of segregation,
the cruelty of lynching and the callousness of deprivation were a painful Reconstruction legacy that
only worsened after the Great Depression and World War II. Dr. King knew that civil rights activists
felt more rage than hope when nonviolent protests were repeatedly met with police dogs and water
cannons, but he channeled that frustration into a positive message. Although he spent weeks consulting
advisors on the preparation of his speech for the March on Washington, he departed from the written
text when gospel singer Mahalia Jackson called out, “Tell them about the dream, Martin!” The famous
refrain of “I have a dream” was an improvisation, spoken from the heart of a Baptist preacher with the
skill and the courage to change history.
Music has long played an essential role in the struggles of black Americans, both those born
here and those brought here against their will. Spirituals arose as slaves mixed the forbidden music of
their African homelands with the Christian hymns they were obliged to learn. Singing became a
language that the white masters could not decode, with specific songs used to warn against danger or
invite escape on the Underground Railroad. In the 20th century, songs learned in church became
vehicles for nonviolent protest, as marchers linked arms and sang to strengthen each other while
enduring ridicule and brutality. The Monmouth Civic Chorus honors this music today as the heritage of
all Americans who sustain the dream of liberty and justice for all.
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Test your MLK Knowledge
1. Where was Martin Luther King, Jr. born?
a. Birmingham, Alabama
b. Montgomery, Alabama
c. Atlanta, Georgia
d. Memphis, Tennessee
2. Where did Dr. King earn his degrees?
a. Morehouse College
b. Crozer Theological Seminary
c. Boston University
d. All of the above
3. Dr. King was ordained as a minister in what denomination?
a. Baptist
b. Lutheran
c. Pentecostal
d. African Methodist Episcopal
4. Where did Dr. King give the “I Have a Dream” speech?
a. Lincoln Memorial
b. Washington Monument
c. White House
d. Supreme Court
5. Which President signed the 1964 Civil Rights Act into law?
a. Kennedy
b. Nixon
c. Johnson
d. Carter
6. Where did Dr. King lead marchers in 1965?
a. Richmond, Virginia to Washington, DC
b. Selma to Montgomery, Alabama
c. Birmingham to Montgomery, Alabama
d. Newark to Trenton, New Jersey
7. Where was Dr. King killed?
a. Atlanta, Georgia
b. Memphis, Tennessee
c. Birmingham, Alabama
d. Montgomery, Alabama
8. Who killed Dr. King?
a. James Earl Ray
b. Sirhan Sirhan
c. Lee Harvey Oswald
d. John Wilkes Booth
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9. Which President signed the law making Dr. King’s birthday a national holiday?
a. Bush
b. Ford
c. Reagan
d. Clinton
10. What important anniversaries in American history occur in 2013?
a. 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation
b. 50th anniversary of the March on Washington
c. 100th birthday of Rosa Parks
d. All of the above
Answers: 1c, 2d, 3a, 4a, 5c, 6b, 7b, 8a, 9c, 10d
Monmouth Civic Chorus Announces Scholarship Auditions
The Monmouth Civic Chorus will hold its annual vocal scholarship auditions for New Jersey
high school seniors planning to pursue higher education. Auditions will be held by appointment on
Sunday, April 7, 2013 in Red Bank. The application deadline is April 1 and the application fee is $10.
For information or an audition appointment, call 732-933-9333, e-mail
[email protected] or visit monmouthcivicchorus.org and click Support Us.
A total of $2500 in scholarships is available to be awarded to students of outstanding vocal
promise. Contestants must be prepared to perform two selections from the standard vocal repertoire
(opera, operetta, art songs, oratorio or Gilbert and Sullivan), with at least one selection in Italian,
French or German. Show music is not acceptable. Contestants will be judged on technique, choice of
material, poise and musicianship. An accompanist will be provided if needed.
Last season, the First Place winner was Evangeline Athanasiou, mezzo-soprano, Red Bank,
who was awarded $1300. The Second Place winner was Christa Dalmazio, soprano, Leonardo, who
was awarded $1200. Michelle Bonzani, soprano, Point Pleasant, and Vincent Martini, baritone, Union
Beach, were awarded Honorable Mention.
What’s on your mind?
We’d love to know what you think about our concerts and our newsletter. Visit our web site,
be our friend on Facebook, or e-mail [email protected] to send us your comments
We hope you’ve enjoyed the March 2013 issue of The Monmouth Civic Chorus’ ECHOES!
We welcome your comments, suggestions, and ideas for the future.
Send comments or questions to: [email protected]
Send address changes or unsubscribe requests: [email protected]
Monmouth Civic Chorus
P.O.Box 16, Red Bank, NJ 07701
732-933-9333
[email protected]
www.monmouthcivicchorus.org
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