Update Title: D692C44F-EB2E-4FEF-AF65-A69ED052DAC3

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It was the autumn of 1985 when the composer was first approached by Stephen Osmond, Music Director of the Jackson [Michigan] Symphony Orchestra, with the idea of a new work honoring the great American Civil Rights leader, Martin Luther King, Jr.  A year and a half later, in April of 1987 Legacy of Vision: Martin Luther King was given its world premiere, sharing the bill with Beethoven's moving testament to  human brotherhood, his Ninth Symphony.

Legacy of Vision is Dr. Brown's attempt to capture in words and music the nobility, idealism, and urgency with which Dr. King spoke.  Passages from Dr. King's most important speeches combine with the simple, stirring beauty of spirituals which reflect the heroism and tragedy of his life.  The piece pays tribute to Dr. King's power to move hearts and minds when he spoke of the tremendous need of all people for simple justice and commitment to a higher purpose in life.

Since that performance in 1987,  Legacy of Vision has received numerous performances.  In 1991, the piece was recorded for broadcast on American Public Radio's "Classically Black:  A Celebration Concert" in a performance by the Champaign/Urbana Symphony Orchestra and the University of Illinois Black Chorus under the direction of Ollie Watts with the world-renowned baritone, William Warfield, as narrator.

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