
Alexander Lloyd Blake, Artistic Director for Tonality
WINSTON-SALEM, NC – The choral ensemble Tonality performed in the Wait Chapel Monday night. The 16-voice group, founded in 2016 by Artistic Director and WFU alum Alexander Lloyd Blake, won a Grammy award in 2024. According to Blake, they were founded as “an ensemble that represents the diverse cultures and ethnicities within the Los Angeles area,” and whose mission is to “present concerts on themes of social justice in hopes to act as a catalyst toward empathy and community activism.” Monday night’s concert was amazing.
The performance, entitled “America Will Be,” showcased an amazing array of choral techniques dealing with contemporary topics – from the U.S. as a bastion of independence and freedom through immigration (and deportation), justice, and mental health to hopes for the new generation. Tonality’s selections showed a wide range of musical styles including minimalism, chant, vocal/instrumental chamber music, collage, with occasional hints of Swingle Singer jazz. Conductor Blake conducted the entire concert without a score in a low-key manner that belied the astonishing range of dynamics and emotions conveyed throughout. Aided colorful lights, supertitles and by sign language interpreters Martha Edwards and Judy Thomas, the overall effect was spellbinding.
The evening began with important (and somewhat lengthy) introductions of the program by several people, including WFU President Susan Wente and Winston-Salem State University Chancellor Bonita J. Brown, both of whom discussed the importance of recognizing Martin Luther King Day (as well as the inauguration of Donald J. Trump) and the cross-campus collaboration of the two institutions. Maestro Blake explained that the program would highlight certain contemporary tensions in the United States with the intent of providing a conduit for conversation and interaction around difficult topics.
The first selection, “Can You See,” by Zanaida Stewart Robles (U.S.), with texts from protest signs and sung without accompaniment (as were most of the selections), provided a good overview. It begins with the opening line of the “Star-Spangled Banner,” repeated in syncopated licks, overlaid with several different sung statements such as “Love is Love,” not always tonal, but never far away from a solid base. The result was a confluence of consonance and dissonance and tight harmonies, all sung with incredible musicality and spot-on tuning, not to mention a glimpse at the depth of talent in the ensemble as individuals came forward to sing solos.
This description aptly describes much of the one hour, fifteen-minute program, sung without an intermission. “In This House” with lyrics and music by Cristian Larios (U.S., b. 1996) features choral humming with sporadic solos from the group as well as spoken text explaining the rights of immigrants (legal or otherwise). “1231 Lyfe” by director Blake takes on the “three-strike law,” which requires very long prison sentences for people convicted of more than two felonies. Again, repeated short phrases are used as the backdrop for specific crimes that are sung until a unison passage asks the question “where is the room for grace when the law says 1 2 3,” resulting in a dramatic and powerful message impeccably performed.
The beautiful and completely tonal “A Lullaby” written by Ryan Murphy (U.S., b. 1971) on a text by Eugene Field (U.S., 1850-95) featured the addition of the W-SSU Singing Rams, the WFU Chamber Singers (well-prepared, respectively, by D’Walla Simmons-Burke and Chris Gilliam). Other accompaniment on this number included the WFU String Quartet and piano accompaniment (superbly played here and on other compositions by Tonality bass Dylan Gentile). “Make Peace” by David Lang is chant-like, while the first movement, “We Know,” from New Collective Consciousness by Joseph Trapanese (U.S., b. 1984) with text by Andri Snaer Magnason (Iceland, b. 1973) takes on environmental issues.
“Sons and Daughters (Easy on the Earth)” by Canadian composer Luke Wallace arranged by Shawn Kirchner had its own groove, “Let Your True Self Sing” by Carlos Cordero with text by Ryan Heller was evocative and a bit trippy, and “Please Stay” by Jake Runestead (U.S., b. 1986) focuses on mental health. In the latter number, the audience joined in, singing and signing with the ensemble.
“#UnitedWeDream” (from American DREAMERs suite by Melissa Dunphy with text by Claudia D. Hernandez begins with “this is our home away from home.” “America Will Be” by Joel Thompson with text by Langston Hughes, Emma Lazarus, and students from Freedom High School Chorus from Orlando, FL, begins with wordless textures, but breaks into more rhythmic sections with several soloists and ends with the spoken words about America becoming a welcoming place for all.
The concert concluded with “Soñar es Desear (A Dream is a Wish you Heart Makes)” by American composers Mack David, Al Hoffman and Jerry Livingston (sung in Spanish) is mostly known as a song from Disney’s Cinderella. This piece was a gentle, hopeful ending to a powerful evening of music and social commentary. The large audience nearly filling the downstairs floor of Wait Chapel vigorously applauded its approval.