Honoring 250 Years of America

Saturday, October 17, 2026 7:00PM

Welcome to this special commemorative concert celebrating the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. This evening marks an important milestone in our nation’s history as we reflect upon the ideals that gave birth to the United States—liberty, justice, equality, and the enduring hope of a government founded upon the consent of the governed.

As we celebrate America’s semi quincentennial, we also pause to remember another defining moment in our nation’s history. This year marks twenty-five years since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, when 2,977 innocent people lost their lives in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania. We honor their memory and pay tribute to the extraordinary courage of the first responders who willingly entered danger in an effort to save others. More than 400 police officers, firefighters, emergency medical personnel, and rescue workers sacrificed their own lives that day in acts of profound bravery and selflessness. Their legacy reminds us that the strength of America is found not only in its founding principles but also in the courage and compassion of ordinary citizens who answer extraordinary calls to service.

To honor both our nation and those who have served it, we invite everyone present to join our chorus and uniformed first responders in singing The Star-Spangled Banner, our National Anthem.

Our concert continues with The God Who Gave Us Life, the opening movement from The Testament of Freedom by Randall Thompson. Thompson composed this celebrated work in 1943 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), drawing entirely upon Jefferson’s own writings. This opening movement sets excerpts from Jefferson’s 1774 political essay, A Summary View of the Rights of British America, one of the most eloquent declarations of colonial liberty written prior to the Declaration of Independence. The complete work received its premiere under the direction of Dr. Stephen Tuttle at the University of Virginia with the composer at the piano. Later, Serge Koussevitzky led the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall in 1945 as part of a memorial tribute following the death of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Thompson’s music captures both the dignity and the moral conviction of Jefferson’s words, reminding us that freedom is both a precious inheritance and an enduring responsibility.

Our Revolutionary War theme continues with The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere by acclaimed American composer Gwyneth Walker. Premiered in 2013, this energetic setting brings to life Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s famous poem recounting Paul Revere’s legendary midnight ride to warn colonial militias of the approaching British forces. Commissioned by the Lexington Pops Chorus to commemorate the 300th anniversary of Lexington, Massachusetts, Walker’s composition transforms Longfellow’s vivid imagery into an exciting musical narrative celebrating the courage of ordinary citizens whose actions helped shape the birth of a nation.

Following this dramatic work, we present Hymn for America by Stephen Paulus. Commissioned by Craig Jessop and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, this beautiful a cappella work sets a deeply reflective poem by Michael Dennis Browne. Rather than celebrating America through triumphant rhetoric, Browne offers a prayer of gratitude and hope. His text reflects on the beauty of the nation’s mountains, rivers, forests, plains, and diverse people while calling upon future generations to be faithful stewards of the freedoms and natural beauty entrusted to them. Paulus’ luminous harmonies create an atmosphere of reverence that invites us to reflect upon our shared responsibilities as citizens.

A second movement from The Testament of Freedom on today’s program, I Shall Not Die Without a Hope, serves as the cantata’s finale and offers a deeply personal glimpse into Thomas Jefferson’s thoughts near the end of his life. The text comes from an 1821 letter to his longtime friend and political rival John Adams, written only five years before Jefferson’s death. Although the two men often disagreed politically, their correspondence became one of the great friendships in early American political history. Jefferson’s words express an enduring optimism that future generations would continue the work of building a more perfect union.

Next is one of the most beloved and significant songs in African American history. Lift Every Voice and Sing, often referred to as the Black National Anthem, was written as a poem by educator, attorney, and civil rights leader James Weldon Johnson. His brother, composer Rosamond Johnson, set the text to music for a celebration honoring Abraham Lincoln’s birthday on February 12, 1900, where it was first sung by 500 schoolchildren in Jacksonville, Florida. The hymn soon spread throughout the country and became an anthem of hope, perseverance, faith, and justice during the Civil Rights Movement. Today it continues to inspire Americans of every background with its timeless message of resilience and shared humanity.

This evening also introduces audiences to one of America’s most compelling contemporary literary voices, Massachusetts Poet Laureate, Regie Gibson. His poem Forge, Shape, Shine was premiered in November 2025 during a commemorative program at the Paul Revere House in Boston, where organizers described it as the highlight of the event. Gibson’s poetry explores identity, history, justice, and our shared human experience with extraordinary imagination and emotional depth. We are honored to present this remarkable work through a dramatic reading by students from local high schools, who have worked directly with Mr. Gibson in preparing this performance. Later in the program, Mr. Gibson himself will read James Weldon Johnson’s inspiring text, Lift Every Voice and Sing.

Tonight’s concert closes with one of the Choral Arts Society’s most cherished musical relationships—that with the late composer Glenn Edward Burleigh (1949-2007). Burleigh was among America’s most respected African American composers, celebrated for blending classical traditions with gospel, spirituals, and jazz. Beyond his remarkable accomplishments as a composer, he became a treasured friend of Maestro James Schatzman and the Choral Arts Society.

The Choral Arts Society was privileged to present the Wisconsin premieres of Burleigh’s Alpha Mass and Lamentation & Celebration, recording both works with the composer himself at the piano. In the years before his untimely death at the age of 58, Maestro Schatzman and Burleigh were planning an ambitious new cantata based upon the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to receive its world premiere in Racine. Although that project did not materialize, Burleigh’s legacy continues to inspire performers and audiences alike.

Lamentation & Celebration was composed following the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995. Living only blocks from the site of the tragedy, Burleigh witnessed firsthand the outpouring of grief as thousands gathered to pray, mourn, and leave memorials along the chain-link fence surrounding the devastated building. Deeply affected, he later wrote, “I was compelled to react.” The resulting composition became both a memorial to those who died and a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. Commissioned by St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church in San Antonio, Texas, the work received its world premiere under the direction of Dr. Douglass Boyer in 1996.

Following the attacks of September 11, Burleigh and Maestro Schatzman agreed that Lamentation & Celebration should also serve as a memorial to those who perished that day. In 2006, recognizing the fifth anniversary of the attacks, the Choral Arts Society performed the work at Carthage College with the composer at the piano, creating one of the organization’s most meaningful musical experiences.

The five movements trace an emotional and spiritual journey from sorrow and grief to hope and joy. Mercy reflects upon God’s grace amid the ordinary routines of daily life. Happiness celebrates family, gratitude, and life’s quiet blessings while being unaware that tragedy can be just around the corner. Trouble confronts the timeless question asked by every grieving heart: “Why?” Yet even amid suffering, Burleigh affirms the scriptural promise that we may be “cast down, but not destroyed.” Deliverance draws strength from Christ’s words: “In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” Finally, Joy concludes this emotional journey with the familiar words of Psalm 23 from the Christian burial liturgy, offering assurance that hope ultimately triumphs over despair and that “I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

As we conclude tonight’s concert, we hope these musical and literary selections have reminded us that America’s story is one of both triumph and trial, of sacrifice and renewal. Across 250 years, our nation has been shaped by courageous leaders, devoted public servants, artists, poets, composers, and ordinary citizens who believed that hope is stronger than fear and that compassion is stronger than hatred.

May we leave this evening grateful for those who founded our nation, mindful of those who have defended it, thankful for those who continue to serve our communities, and inspired to build a future worthy of the generations who will follow.