Poster Martin Luther King Jr
Martin Luther King Jr
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Performance Today®

King Celebration 2010

On this Martin Luther King Day, our entire show is devoted to a celebration of the life of Dr. King. Music was an important force in the civil rights movement, and important in the personal life of Dr. King as well. Thursday night in Atlanta, the Atlanta Symphony and the singers of Morehouse and Spelman Colleges in Atlanta presented a King celebration concert. We'll hear highlights from that concert in both hours today.

Episode Playlist

Hour 1

Wynton Marsalis: Excerpts from Symphony No. 2 ("Blues Symphony")
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra with conductor Robert Spano
Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel, Atlanta

Ludovic Lamothe: Haitian Merengue ("La Dangereuse")
Pianist William Chapman Nyaho

Hour 2

Richard Strauss: "Morning"
Contralto Marian Anderson and pianist Franz Rupp

Ludwig van Beethoven: Leonore Overture No. 3
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra with conductor Robert Spano
Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel, Atlanta

David Conte: "The Homecoming: In Memoriam Martin Luther King, Jr."
Chanticleer
Spivey Hall, Morrow, Georgia

Traditional (Arranged by Peter Wilhousky): "The Battle Hymn of the Republic"
The Chicago Sinfonietta, the Apostolic Church of God Sanctuary Choir, and the Chicago Children's Choir with conductor Paul Freeman
Symphony Center, Chicago

Donald Sur: Excerpts from "Slavery Documents"
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the combined choirs of Morehouse and Spelman Colleges with conductor Robert Spano
Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel, Atlanta

Traditional: "We Shall Overcome"
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the combined choirs of Morehouse and Spelman Colleges with conductor Robert Spano
Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel, Atlanta

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About Performance Today®

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American Public Media’s Performance Today® is America’s most popular classical music radio program and a winner of the 2014 Gabriel Award for artistic achievement. The show is broadcast on hundreds of public radio stations across the country, including at 1 p.m. central weekdays on Minnesota Public Radio. More information about our stations can be found at APM Distribution.

Performance Today® features live concert recordings that can’t be heard anywhere else, highlights from new album releases, and in-studio performances and interviews. Performance Today® is based at the APM studios in St. Paul, Minnesota, but is frequently on the road, with special programs broadcast from festivals and public radio stations around the country. Also, each Wednesday, composer Bruce Adolphe joins host Fred Child for a classical musical game and listener favorite: the Piano Puzzler.

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