June 4th, 2022
National Library of Latvia Ziedonis Hall

June 5th, 2022
Tukums Evangelical Lutheran Church


Deep Roots

The ​Riga Project Choir's program "Deep Roots" was dedicated to pieces written and inspired by African American composers. Beginning with the revolutionary spirituals of Harry T. Burleigh and leading up to the modern works of Stephen Murphy and Brandon Waddles, "Deep Roots" led audience members through two centuries of rich harmonies, complicated rhythms, and the deep history of African-American music. The program also included "Jazz," the first section of Kile Smith's work "The Arc in the Sky," featuring the poems of Robert Lax and inspired by African-American musical monuments including jazz ballads, jam sessions, and the ecstatic trumpet playing of Louis Armstrong.

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