24-25 Program Book - Flipbook - Page 94
Umoja– Anthem of Unity (2001/2019)
CONTINUED
named Performance Today’s 2020 Classical Woman
of the Year, recognizing an individual who has
made a significant contribution to classical music
as a performer, composer, or educator. Recent
commissions include works for the Orpheus Chamber
Orchestra, The Library of Congress, Orchestra of St.
Luke’s, American Composers Orchestra, and The
National Flute Association. Her works have garnered
awards such as the MAPFund, ASCAP Honors Award,
Chamber Music America’s Classical Commissioning
Program, Herb Alpert Ragdale Residency Award, and
nominations from The American Academy of Arts and
Letters and United States Artists.
The original version of Umoja: Anthem for Unity was a simple song for women’s
choir. Coleman then arranged it for wind quintet in 2001. It has since been chosen by
Chamber Music America as one of the “Top 101 Great American Ensemble Works.” In
2019 The Philadelphia Orchestra commissioned an orchestral arrangement which
was premiered in Philadelphia and at Carnegie Hall, marking the first time the
orchestra performed a classical work by a living female African-American composer.
This version is considerably longer, with more textural variety and complexity. The
composer’s program note says Umoja
…embodied a sense of ‘tribal unity’ through the feel of a drum circle, the sharing
of history through traditional ‘call and response’ form and the repetition of a
memorable sing-song melody. It was rearranged into woodwind quintet form
during the genesis of Imani Winds, with the intent of providing an anthem that
celebrated the diverse heritages of the ensemble itself.
Almost two decades later from the original, the orchestral version brings an
expansion and sophistication to the short and sweet melody, beginning with
sustained ethereal passages that float and shift from a bowed vibraphone,
supporting the introduction of the melody by solo violin. Here the melody sings
sweetly in its simplest form with an earnestness reminiscent of Appalachian
style music. From there, the melody dances and weaves throughout the
instrument families, interrupted by dissonant viewpoints led by the brass and
percussion sections, which represent the clash of injustices, racism, and hate
that threatens to gain a foothold in the world today. Spiky textures turn into an
aggressive exchange between upper woodwinds and percussion before a return
to the melody as a gentle reminder of kindness and humanity. Through the
brass led ensemble tutti, the journey ends with a bold call of unity that harkens
back to the original anthem.
In the composer’s words, “This version honors the simple melody that ever was but
is now a full exploration into the meaning of freedom and unity. Now more than ever,
Umoja has to ring as a strong and beautiful anthem for the world we live in today.”
94 CLASSICAL SERIES MAHLER’S FIRST SYMPHONY
