Sounds of Home at 250: Many Voices. Many Stories. One Shared Home

Description

For Arlington's 9th Street Quartet, their program Sounds of Home at 250 explores the idea of belonging through music, highlighting some of the diverse voices and histories that shape current American life. The program features works by Jessie Montgomery, Kevin Puts, Steven Snowden, Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate, Stephen Gorbos, Gabriela Lena Frank, and Reena Esmail—composers whose musical voices represent a broad spectrum of American experience. Thinking of the spirit of 1776, with its sentiments of individual liberty and a more just society, this repertoire directly engages with the ever evolving idea of what counts for an American voice. Rather than a purely celebratory program, Sounds of Home at 250 invites reflection on the complex circumstances that bring diverse cultures into dialogue—and sometimes into tension—within American society. In doing so, it echoes the foundational struggle to build a pluralistic democracy, reminding us during this important anniversary that the work of the Revolution is an ongoing project.