The Seven Last Words of the Unarmed

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The Seven Last Words of the Unarmed is a composition for choir and orchestra by the American composer Joel Thompson .

The piece has seven sentences, each quoting the last words of unarmed black men who were killed. Thompson says he was inspired by Haydn's The Seven Last Words of Our Savior on the Cross and Sharon Barghi's Last words project . The piece premiered in 2016 at the University of Michigan Men's Glee Club under the direction of Eugene Rogers, and has since been performed by the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra (with The Village Square, the Florida A&M Concert Choir, and the Morehouse College Glee Club) and Boston, among others Children's Chorus has been performed. After the violent death of George Floyd and the protests and outbreaks of police violence that followed, the work met with renewed interest.

sentences

  1. "Why do you have your guns out?" - Kenneth Chamberlain, 66
  2. "What are you following me for?" - Tray by Martin , 16
  3. "Mom, I'm going to college." - Amadou Diallo , 23
  4. “I don't have a gun. Stop shooting. " - Michael Brown , 18
  5. “You shot me! You shot me! " - Oscar Grant , 22
  6. "It's not real." - John Crawford, 22
  7. "I can't breathe." - Eric Garner , 43

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Creating a Space for Empathy: Composer Joel Thompson speaks about The Seven Last Words of the Unarmed. December 11, 2019, accessed June 5, 2020 (American English).
  2. ↑ a b Ryan Grimes: UM Men's Glee Club remembers lives lost with “Seven Last Words of the Unarmed”. Retrieved June 5, 2020 .
  3. ↑ a b c Hear Me Out: “Seven Last Words of the Unarmed” | WQXR blog. Retrieved June 5, 2020 .
  4. ^ Social justice + music: 'Seven Last Words of the Unarmed' premieres at UM. April 19, 2016. Retrieved June 5, 2020 (American English).
  5. ↑ a b Meredith Bruckner: Social justice music project debuted at UM back in national spotlight amid protests. June 5, 2020, accessed June 5, 2020 .
  6. ↑ a b Ode to Understanding | Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra. Retrieved June 5, 2020 .
  7. ↑ Undeniable Power: 'Seven Last Words' Of Unarmed Men. January 16, 2017, accessed on June 5, 2020 .
  8. ↑ Recommended Streaming From the Interwebs. Retrieved June 5, 2020 .