The Ritz Chamber Players will present “Coretta’s Voice,” a powerful concert experience illuminating Coretta Scott King’s legacy as a visionary leader, artist and civil rights activist, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11, at Terry Concert Hall, Jacksonville University, 2800 University Blvd. N., Jacksonville.
Tickets are free and are available at: eventbrite.com/e/ritz-chamber-players-corettas-voice-registration-1048231457507?aff=oddtdtcreator
Held in commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, this event will reimagine Mrs. King's historical “Freedom Concerts,” which blended music, poetry and narrative to raise awareness and funds for the civil rights movement.
Coretta Scott King was more than the wife of Martin Luther King, Jr; she was a trailblazer, a gifted musician and a tireless advocate for peace and equality in her own right.
Her story began in the deeply segregated South. Born in Marion, Alabama, Coretta King learned to play the piano, trumpet and violin and even directed her church choir by age 15. She went on to study music at Antioch College and the New England Conservatory of Music, where she would meet her future husband, Martin Luther King Jr., and together they would build a legacy of activism.
Coretta King dedicated her life to the pursuit of justice, using her gifts as an artist and activist to drive meaningful change. Her first major benefit concert, “Salute to Montgomery,” held on Dec. 5, 1956, marked the one-year anniversary of the Montgomery bus boycott. She performed for a packed house alongside superstar musicians Harry Belafonte and Duke Ellington, raising $2,000 for the Montgomery Improvement Association.
The experience revealed the power of music as a tool for activism, leading her to develop in 1964 the Freedom Concert series, which debuted in at Town Hall in New York City. Combining dramatic storytelling, poetry and music, Coretta King performed more than 30 concerts over the next three years, raising critical funds for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
These funds became a lifeline for the movement, covering staff salaries, travel expenses and legal defense for protestors. After her husband's assassination in 1968, Coretta carried forward his legacy, founding the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change and emerging as a leader in her own right, championing equality and nonviolence on the world stage.
“Coretta's Voice” is a meticulously crafted program designed to reimagine and honor Mrs. King’s historic Freedom Concerts for a contemporary audience. This immersive performance will weave together a rich tapestry of music, spoken word and historical reflection. This diverse program mirrors the eclectic repertoire of the original Freedom Concerts, from soul-stirring spirituals to classical opera and contemporary compositions, including “Songs for Love or Justice” by Adolphus Hailstork, inspired by Dr. King's speeches. The concert will also feature performances by civil rights activist and historian Rodney Hurst, alongside Jacksonville-based artists Taryn "LoveReigns" Wharwood and Rahman K. Johnson, Ph.D.
“Coretta Scott King’s artistry and activism serve as a reminder of the enduring role of music in the fight for justice,” said Ritz Chamber Players Executive and Artistic Director Terrance L. Patterson. “‘Coretta's Voice’ is more than just a concert; it is a call to action. It’s a reminder that the fight for justice and equality is an ongoing journey and that each of us has a role to play. By celebrating Coretta Scott King’s legacy, we continue the work she and Dr. King began, striving to build a more just and equitable world for all.”
A post-concert reception will allow attendees to connect, reflect and engage in meaningful conversation.
