Halalisa Singers in 'Be the Change: Songs of Courage and Inspiration'

Boston-based world music vocal ensemble The Halalisa Singers led by artistic director Mary Cunningham presents Be the Change: Songs of Courage and Inspiration on Saturday, January 27, 7:30 pm at First Parish of Arlington, 630 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington, MA. The group is joined by pianist Trevor Berens, percussionist Bertram Lehmann, and soprano soloist Jessica Tunick Berens. Tickets $25 at www.halalisa.org. For more information, email info@halalisa.org.

Be the Change presents music exploring legacies of important change agents like Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Bob Dylan, James Weldon Johnson, and Naomi Judd, to name a few. Music by composers of color from a wide range of cultures and backgrounds is featured.

Indonesian composer Ken Steven’s arrangement of Indonesian folk song “Hela Rotan” tells of the traditional game of tug of war played by the people of Maluku, which upends our usual notions of competition by focusing on cooperation and togetherness rather than winners and losers. Rousing arrangements and reworkings of traditional spirituals by two African-American composers, Rollo Dilworth (“Let Me Fly”) and Dr. Brandon A. Boyd (“Sign Me Up”), use biblical references to convey messages of hope, community and freedom. The energetic “TaReKita,” written by Indian-American composer Reena Esmail for a choir comprised of homeless individuals, uses onomatopoeic vocal sounds to imitate the Indian drum or tabla. Gene Glickman’s arrangement of Chilean composer Sergio Ortega Alvarado’s protest song “El Pueblo Unido (The People United)” stresses the triumph that can be achieved through unity. African-American composer Marques L.A. Garrett’s gorgeous choral piece “My Heart Be Brave” uses the words of civil rights activist James Weldon Johnson to deliver a stunning message of courage and perseverance during dark times. In the words of the composer, “In the midst of discrimination, our heart—the core of our being—must lead us into rightful change.”

Popular music can also produce powerful music of change, and there’s no better example than “The Times They Are A’Changin’,” written by Bob Dylan to be an anthem of change during the turbulent sixties. The harmonic and stylistic elements of Adam Podd’s arrangement add new poignancy to the timeless classic. The Judds hit “Love Can Build a Bridge” is presented via Kirby Shaw’s arrangement of the emotionally moving song about unity and togetherness in the face of trouble.

Soprano section leader and accomplished coloratura Jessica Tunick Berens will be joined by her husband, Halalisa accompanist Trevor Berens, for a set of inspiring tunes including “Children Will Listen” from Into The Woods by Stephen Sondheim and “You’ve Got To Be Carefully Taught” from Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific. Jessica also sings an exquisite extended solo in beloved choral master Nick Page’s “Choose to Bless the World,” which urges us to use our personal power in positive ways.

The program also features Elizabeth Norton’s arrangement of Shlomo Carlbach’s “Return Again / Hashivenu (Return Us),” which interweaves two songs with themes of resilience and renewal; Troy Robertson’s djembe-accompanied “In Meeting We Are Blessed;” Sten Kallman’s arrangement of traditional Haitian folk song “Wangol” sung in Haitian Creole; and the concert’s title song, Laura Farnell’s “Be the Change,” which adapts texts from Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr., the Bible, original lyrics, and “This Little Light of Mine.”