Cover Artwork ©Amy Stone

On Friday, October 3rd, Bruce Broughton’s Two Sermons for choir and winds will be performed at the University of Michigan in a collaboration of the Symphony Band and the top Choirs at the School of Music, Theatre & Dance.

Two Sermons is Broughton’s musical interpretation of two poems by American writer and civil rights activist, James Weldon Johnson (June 17, 1871–June 26, 1938): “The Creation” and “The Judgment Day.” The original poems are patterned after traditional African-American religious oratory, with “The Creation” being a narrative retelling of the Creation story in Genesis, but with the Creator character speaking in a familiar language with a distinct personality; and “The Judgment Day” is a dramatically descriptive narrative of the Apocalypse. Broughton’s Two Sermons is a powerful and vibrant work that expresses each of these themes to their fullest.

This special collaboration showcases the talents of the music students and will be led by both Director of Choirs, Eugene Rogers, and Director of Bands, Jason Fettig. The concert is free to attend either via Livestream Link or in person at the Hill Auditorium at Central Campus. More information for the event is available at the School of Music, Theatre & Dance website.