Here students from the four participating choirs share their thoughts about preparing Michael Tippett's A Child of Our Time and the spirituals that create the core of this piece.

On Uplifting Spirituals

I absolutely love spirituals and it always brings peace to my heart singing them and just listening to them. Being an African-American student makes them even more special to me because spirituals were my first introduction to music in Church as a young child.
—Jalise, Pebblebrook High School Chamber Choir

"In these spirituals is a deeply embedded feeling of the painful longing of those who sang these songs, but also the hope. I truly feel that I am experiencing the past when I sing these songs, in a way never captured by history class."
—Nate, Shorewood High School Aeolian Choir

"I am uplifted by the spirituals in A Child of Our Time because they bring hope. The spirituals douse the fires of fear and turmoil with the thoughts of peace and revolution."
—Victor, Songs of Solomon

"The spirituals contrast the grief with a message of hope. They bring a message of hope and victory into my heart."
—Peter, North Jersey Homeschool Association Chorale

On Developing as Choirs

"My choir has struggled, laughed, joked, cried, perspired, and argued over A Child of Our Time, and we wouldn't trade any of those experiences because it strengthened us as a whole and helped us define our choral identity."
—Miki, Shorewood High School Aeolian Choir

"As we've rehearsed this our skills as musicians have definitely improved. It expanded out minds and made us become more open-minded."
—Emani, Songs of Solomon

"When we started we were somewhat overwhelmed by the magnitude of the work, both in meaning and difficulty. As we grew accustomed to A Child of Our Time we embraced it and made it our song."
—Kevin, North Jersey Homeschool Association Chorale

"I think my choir has become more musically intelligent, and become more attached to the music we sing through all the feelings evoked from A Child of Our Time."
—Erin, Pebblebrook High School Chamber Choir

On Favorites

"My favorite spiritual from A Child of Our Time would have to be "Deep River", because when I first looked at the song it seemed daunting. But now each time we sing it I can imagine the words coming to life and it makes me think that this is exactly where I want to go."
—Jazmin, Songs of Solomon

"I am uplifted by the spiritual "Nobody Knows the Trouble I See". When I raise my voice to this melody, I raise my troubles and let the music carry them away."
—Lauren, Shorewood High School Aeolian Choir

"My favorite spiritual is "Go Down Moses" because it reminds me of my great grandfather singing it to me when I was younger."
—Jeremy, Pebblebrook High School Chamber Choir

"'By and By, I'm Going to Lay Down My Heavy Load'—these words are so helpful and mean so much if you think of them as sung by those bound in slavery. Still, they can be applied to anyone's life burdens."
—Hope, North Jersey Homeschool Association Chorale