Orbert Davis' Soul Migration draws on the stories of the 6 million African Americans who took part in America's 'Great Migration', fleeing the Jim Crow south to the industrial north. A seven-movement epic across time and space, Soul Migration celebrates the consciousness of a people and the enduring communities that were built.
Composed by Orbert Davis. Commissioned by the Chicago Jazz Festival marking the centennial of the Great Migration. World Premiere September 1, 2016 Pritzker Pavilion, Millennium Park, Chicago
I was motivated to write a seven-movement work that would depict more than the geographical movement of a people” said Davis. “I wanted it to be a celebration of the consciousness of the people … the collection of “souls” that built strong communities. The stories of “Soul Migration” reflect the Chicago African American experience, but are universally humanistic sagas of survival, strength, and heritage.
