On Saturday, May 7, 2022, All Classical Radio presented a live, bi-coastal broadcast of the world premiere of Damien Geter’s An African American Requiem in collaboration with WQXR in New York.
This long-awaited, highly anticipated performance and live broadcast took place at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in Portland, Oregon. The Oregon Symphony performed with the African American Requiem Choir, made up of singers from Resonance Ensemble, Kingdom Sound Gospel Choir, and other Portland-based choirs. William Eddins conducted, and Resonance Ensemble’s Artistic Director Dr. Katherine FitzGibbon prepared the chorus. The concert also featured a quartet of renowned African American opera singers: Brandie Sutton, soprano; Karmesha Peake, mezzo-soprano; Bernard Holcomb, tenor; and Kenneth Overton, baritone.
The piece incorporates traditional requiem mass parts, African American spirituals, as well as texts from civil rights activists Ida B. Wells and Jamilia Land. It also includes the last words spoken by Eric Garner, a line from a poem by Antwon Rose, and words written and performed by Portland poet Dr. S. Renee Mitchell.
The broadcast was hosted by WQXR’s Terrance McKnight and All Classical Radio’s Suzanne Nance, and produced by Sarah Zwinklis and Eileen Delahunty. Following the world premiere broadcast, the piece has been made available for syndication to public radio stations throughout the U.S.A, at no cost to carrying stations, ensuring broad access to and amplification of Geter’s powerful and important work.
