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''An American Cantata'' – 2000 Voices. This symphonic work, composed and orchestrated by Maury Yeston, is a composition for 2,000 voices and orchestra, commissioned by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for Leonard Slatkin, and the National Symphony and performed on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on July 1, 2000, as part of the millennium celebration. Written in three movements the piece celebrates the achievement of the idea of individual liberty and equality, along with our inherent and universal entitlement to it. Sung by a mixed chorus, boys choir, and gospel choir, texts include excerpts from the Magna Carta, the writings of Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther King Jr., and original lyrics by Yeston.〔.〕 The second movement is a setting of the 'I've been to the mountaintop' Memphis speech of Dr. Martin Luther King, by special arrangement with his estate (''And he's allowed me to go up to the mountain, and I have looked over, and I have seen the Promised Land'') – and each of the three movements can be performed separately, with the first movement being a celebration of the evolution of the idea of Freedom in the Past, the second movement a recognition of the challenges that remain to our achieving Freedom for all in the Present, and the third movement a fervent prayer for the achievement and preservation of Freedom in the Future. The premiere performance on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in July, 2000 (as part of the National Millennium Celebration) was attended by an audience of 20,000 and presented by a chorus of 2000 voices – but the Cantata is written for ordinary-sized choirs, and is available with piano accompaniment as well as orchestra. It is often presented by college and high school groups in choirs as small as 30 to 50 singers. ==References== *() Kennedy Center Special Festivals *() Kennedy Center Annual Report *http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Kennedy+Center+Launches+4th+of+July+Weekend+With+An+American+Cantata%3a...-a062850220/ 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「An American Cantata」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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