By Hazel Scott/ASU
On Thursday, February 5, at 2 p.m. in the Montgomery Interpretive Center located on the Alabama State University campus, artists, students and community members will come together for a panel discussion that explores the creation and historical inspiration behind “A Time for Jubilee,” a powerful new musical work commissioned by the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra (MSO). The world premiere of “A Time for Jubilee” is scheduled just days later on Monday, February 9, at Troy University’s Davis Theatre.
This free public program promises new insights into how history and music intertwine by offering a deeper look at the ideas, stories and historical forces behind “A Time for Jubilee” and why they matter today.
“The timely and thought-provoking conversation explores the creation of ‘A Time for Jubilee’— where music, memory, and history meet,” said Dr. Bryan Reeves, executive director of the Montgomery Symphony Association. “From the composer’s musical vision to the historical events that inspired the work, this panel brings together artistic and scholarly perspectives to illuminate how history is transformed into sound.”
The panel members are Dr. Jamie Reeves, MSO music director and conductor; Dr. Robert White, ASU instructor for Languages and Literatures; and Dr. Nkeiru Okoye, MSO’s William Levi Dawson Composer-in-Residence.
The event is sponsored in part by the National Endowment for the Arts and presented in partnership with Alabama State University’s National Center for the Study of Civil Rights and African-American Culture, and the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail.