The west coast premiere of Bicentennial Symphony, composer Roy Harris’s musical statement on U.S. history and slavery, will be the highlight of Long Beach’s 13th annual Juneteenth event, which this year will celebrate the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth.
Long Beach Parks, Recreation & Marine, Partners of Parks and the Central Area Association will be presenting Juneteenth on Saturday, June 13 from noon to 5pm at Martin Luther King, Jr. Park, 1950 Lemon Ave. The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Committee, a federal agency, has endorsed the event.
The Bicentennial Symphony has not been performed since its 1976 premiere at the Kennedy Center by the National Symphony Orchestra to celebrate the nation’s 200th birthday. The new MusicUntold Orchestra & Chorale will perform the symphony with Joseph R. Taylor, conductor of the Bellflower Symphony Orchestra, at the helm and Zanaida Robles, choral director at Los Angeles High School for the Arts, leading the chorale. Also performing will be international blues artist Mighty Mo Rodgers with The New Bluez. Grammy nominee and UCLA professor Dr. Bobby Rodriguez will close the celebration with a Latin jazz performance. Leo Stallworth of ABC7 will act as master of ceremonies for the event.
The Juneteenth 2009 celebration will be an open-air festival with live musical performances, food and merchandise vendors, a health & safety fair and a children’s area with games, crafts, jumpers and more. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs and blankets for seating.
Juneteenth celebrations started on June 19, 1865, when word reached the people of Texas that President Abraham Lincoln had signed the proclamation freeing slaves two years earlier on January 1, 1863. Jubilation over the news turned into annual celebrations and homecomings for those who had been separated from their families and friends. These annual celebrations became known as Juneteenth.
For more information on this year’s celebration in Long Beach, call (562) 570-4405.
