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2022 ACDA Southwestern Region Conference

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The Spirituals Project Verdigris Ensemble

The mission of The Spirituals Project is to preserve Verdigris uses choral music to tell shared stories of
and revitalize the music and teachings of the sacred the human condition, weaving intricate choral programs

songs called “spirituals,” created and first sung by en- into multi-layered experiences. Both in concert and out-
slaved Africans in America in the 18th and 19th cen- reach, their mission is to enrich, inspire, and invest in the
turies. Spirituals uplift in times of crisis, heal, comfort, community through honest choral storytelling, mean-
inspire, and instill hopes and dreams, thereby transform- ingful outreach initiatives, and collaboration. Based in
ing individuals, communities, and whole societies. The Dallas, TX, the choir boasts a roster of professional sing-
goal of the organization and ensemble is to ensure that ers from around the Metroplex who come together for a
the spirituals will be passed on for many generations to shared vision of the future of choral music.
come. A past recipient of the Denver Mayor’s Award for
Excellence in the Arts, the organization has presented a Sam Brukhman brings innovative pro-
wide variety of musical and educational programs. The gramming, creative collaboration, and
Spirituals Project is a part of the Lamont School of Mu- musical sensitivity to his programs. As the
sic at Denver University. founding artistic director of the Verdigris
Ensemble, Brukhman gathers the best lo-
M. Roger Holland II is a teaching assistant cal and out-of-state talent to form a world-class choral
professor in music and religion and direc- ensemble committed to bringing dynamic choral music
tor of The Spirituals Project at the Lam- to the modern audience. Brukhman is also the artistic di-
ont School of Music, University of Den- rector of the Arts District Chorale and the Capital Sym-
ver. Holland holds a Master of Divinity phony Orchestra’s assistant conductor based in New
from Union Theological Seminary, a master’s from the York City. A graduate of Westminster Choir College, he
Manhattan School of Music, and a BME from Westmin- was a semifinalist for the ACDA National Conducting

ster Choir College. Holland served as artist-in-residence Competition in 2015.
and director of the Union Gospel Choir for more than
13 years. Holland is the newly appointed editor of the
In Spirit and Truth series published by GIA Publications,
Inc., which focuses on Black Catholic off erings.

90 CHORAL JOURNAL January 2022 Volume 62 Number 5