Sunday Nov 14, 2021 Long Beach Camerata Singers at Jordan High School program titled “PEACE PROJECT V: RECONCILIATION,” celebrating music as a force for understanding featured the world premiere of “TESTIMONY’ by composer Richard Danielpour with text from Rita Dove conducted by Dr. James K. Bass. Composer Danielpour and choral director Bass previously won a Grammy for the recording of Danielpour: The Passion Of Yeshua and both are faculty at UCLA. The program was superbly narrated by Vice Mayor Rex Richarson and conceived by Dr. Bass. I had a chance to chat with Dr. Bass following the concert about MusicUNTOLD/Long Beach Central Area Association forthcoming summer 2022 Los Angeles premiere of Roy Harris’ “Bicentennial Symphony” but did not get to chat with composer Danielpour. I was a huge fan of his opera MARGARET GARNER (Margaret Garner was an enslaved African-American woman in pre-Civil War America who killed her own daughter rather than allow the child to be returned to slavery with mezzo soprano Denyce Graves as Margaret Garner. MusicUNTOLD/Long Beach Central Area Association presented Denyce Graves in recital at the Long Beach Terrace Theater to celebrate 2011 JUNETEENTH. Please
see https://musicuntold.com/index.php/june-19-2011-juneteenth-celebration-featured-a-recital-by-mezzo-soprano-denyce-graves/. See pic of composer Richard Danielpour (Grammy.com) and attachment (Sunday’s program)
