Joel Thompson breathe/burn: an elegy*

Jeffrey Scott Sinfonietta of Dreams
II. Prayer
I. Hope

Adapted by Hamilton, Horton, and Seeger (arr. Roy Ringwald)
We Shall Overcome

GUEST CONDUCTOR
Antoine T. Clark

GUEST ARTISTS
Joel Thompson, Composer
Ifetayo Ali-Landing, Cello

*World Premiere, Chicago Sinfonietta commission

Chicago Sinfonietta's annual MLK Tribute Concert is a tradition we've shared since the orchestra was founded by Maestro Paul Freeman more than thirty years ago. In celebrating Dr. King, the Sinfonietta has selected three enthralling works by a trio of African American composers: Florence Price, Joel Thompson, and Jeff Scott.

The concert begins with William Grant Still’s orchestral arrangement of Florence Price’s piano work, Dances in the Canebrakes, a Chicago Sinfonietta signature piece. Composer Joel Thompson (Seven Last Words of the Unarmed) returns with a new commission piece titled breathe/burn: an elegy, composed in memory of Breonna Taylor and performed with Chicago cellist Ifetayo Ali-Landing in the role of soloist.

Jeff Scott’s work, Sinfonietta of Dreams, was written in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We close the online concert with a Chicago Sinfonietta tradition: We Shall Overcome, performed in unison from homes across the country in a spirit of hope and resilience.