In Monday’s (1/16) Chicago Tribune, Howard Reich writes, “On Sunday afternoon, as part the Chicago Sinfonietta’s annual tribute to Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., the orchestra joined forces with the Apostolic Church of God Sanctuary Choir for the world premiere of [flutist Nicole] Mitchell’s ‘Harambee: Road to Victory.’ Considering the work’s plea for peace and message of hope in the face of adversity, ‘Harambee’ was well suited to the Sinfonietta’s King celebration, titled ‘The Journey, The Dream.’ Unfortunately, a family emergency prevented Mitchell—who moved to the Los Angeles area from Chicago last year—from returning here to play the solo flute part. Instead, Kedgrick Pullums, Jr., a Mitchell protégé, took on the daunting task of stepping in for a virtuoso instrumentalist in her own composition. … The title derived from the Swahili word for ‘bringing together,’ and Mitchell’s imploring text reiterated this theme. … Musically, Mitchell cast ‘Harambee’ in an unabashedly populist vein built on gospel-tinged rhythm. Her lush orchestration evoked symphonic music of Howard Hanson; her jazz-meets-the-classics harmonic vocabulary suggested concert works by George Gershwin and William Grant Still. … Earlier in the afternoon, Mei-Ann Chen, the Sinfonietta’s new music director, offered a robust account of Zoltan Kodaly’s ‘Dances of Galanta.’ ”
Posted January 18, 2012
