“Redeem the Dream”
by Dr. Brandon A. Boyd
“Redeem the Dream” is based on Langston Hughes’s poem “Let America Be America Again”, written in 1935. The poem reflects on the gap between the ideals of American democracy as articulated in the Declaration of Independence and the reality experienced by many people over our history. Yet the poem ends with hope that America can live up to its promises of freedom, equality, and opportunity for all. The poet expresses the hope and affirms that we the people must redeem the vision of America and make America what it is intended to be. Hughes’ poem is introduced by an excerpt from the Declaration of Independence.
Listen to “Redeem the Dream” below and follow along:
“US”
by Michael Bussewitz-Quarm
“US” was inspired by Richard Haass’s book “The Bill of Obligations”, published in 2023, which asserts that most Americans understand their rights, but they do not have a similar understanding of their obligations as citizens. To keep our democracy strong, we must adopt these obligations as habits of citizenship. Through the music, we introduce the challenge and the hope of democracy’s promise. We then name 10 obligations and define each one through quotations by famous and not-so-famous Americans, from founding fathers to contemporary citizens. The piece concludes with a call to citizenship, for US—we the people, each one of us in these United States—to join together and make the full promise of our democracy a reality.
Listen to “US” below and follow along:
Recording excerpts courtesy of Rocky Mountain Chamber Choir.