Singing out in America's Heartland since 1986, Kansas City's 135-voice gay men's chorus aptly brings us a collection of 13 songs related to the struggle for freedom. The collection is drawn from the story of America, the music ranging from religious hymns and spirituals to folk songs and patriotic anthems. Freedom also includes five new commissioned works from composers Mark Hayes and Greg Gilpin, "Freedom Suite: A Medley of Spirituals" and "I Will Stand With You" by Hayes and "Skip to My Lou," "O Shenandoah" and "The Crawdad Song," arranged by Gilpin. Other favorites are a pair of spirituals arranged by Moses Hogan, "This Little Light of Mine" and "Hold On," U2's "MLK," Stephen Sondheim's "Children Will Listen," the Alice Parker-arranged "Hark, I Hear the Harps Eternal," Frank Wildhorn's touching, piano & violin-accompanied "Tell My Father," and the final cut, "My Country 'Tis of Thee," accompanied by a quote from Randy Hite, "As a gay man, I claim ALL of America's freedoms as mine. That includes the freedom to marry. Liberty and Justice for ALL includes ME! Let Freedom ring!" "Freedom" is a beautiful, powerful collection from Heartland Men's Chorus! |
