Page 74 - CJOct25

Choral Review
Choral Review

of people of color who lost their lives due to systemic Section 4: The Meltdown
racism and policing in the United States and encourag- Typically, before an idea can become a movement,
es the ensemble to learn their stories. Similar to how a there is an event or experience where those living
choir will respond to a preacher or minister in a Black through oppression break under the weight that has
church, the choir repeats each name following a soloist been forced on their shoulders. These are moments of
speaker’s “call,” adding both to the interactivity and confusion, stress, and angst, which are exactly the emo-
the social movement surrounding the hashtag. tions Dilworth aims to portray. Built on an octatonic
While contextually this section is somber, the music scale, this section is meant to feel “dark and unsettling.”
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is slighty upbeat in this gospel style. The juxtaposition The melody ascends chromatically over a D chord from
of the music to text can be interpreted in many ways. the bass, which adds to the agitated feeling of uneasiness
One possible interpretation is guided by the history of and unrest that was felt throughout 2020 (Figure 3 on
the music style: spiritual music originated from African the next page).
American churches in the nineteenth century, often ex- The text in this section is reflective, working with the
pressing hope, faith, and resilience. Similarly, this sec- music to create the feelings it stirs in its audience. As said
tion of music is transforming the darkness surrounding in the poem, “The violence of again, a militarized po-
these deaths into a purpose for movement and mobili- lice force, teargassing, bullets ricochet, and civil unrest
zation. taking it burning it down.” In terms of internal imagery,
this is the most violent and literal section of the poem.
The last line, “burning it down,” melodically reaches the

72 CHORAL JOURNAL October 2025 Volume 66 Number 3