Voices A Choral Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 1968 -2015

In 1968, when Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, many people struggled to give voice to the profound emotions of that moment in history. The Choral Arts Society of Washington sought to honor MLK in song, and on the first anniversary of his assassination, gave the premiere performance of a work it had commissioned in his honor: ONCE – In Memoriam Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The following year, Choral Arts joined with several local church choirs to present a concert in memory of Martin Luther King, Jr. and gave similar annual concerts through 1969.

Since the inception of the MLK national holiday in 1989, Choral Arts has produced and participated in Living the Dream...Singing the Dream: Celebrating the Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. (formerly known as an Annual Choral Tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr.) at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts along with a host of participating artists and ensembles. The tributes began, in Artistic Director Emeritus Norman Scribner's words, "…to give musical and visual reality to the message that we are all brothers and sisters. As an avid music lover, Dr. King understood the tremendous force that music exerts upon the human will."

In 2004, Choral Arts began honoring individuals who embody the spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s message of nonviolent struggle for Civil Rights with the Annual Humanitarian Award.  Each year the selected individual is honored at the celebratory concert.