The Indianapolis VOCE SATB Choir and The Indy Flute Choir will provide the St. Luke’s United Methodist Church service music for the July 8, 2018 9:30 AM and 11:00 AM church services. Following the 9:30 service, VOCE and The Indy FLute Choir will present AMERICA BELONGS TO US by Jenni Brandon, written for Flute Choir and SATB Choir.  This event is FREE to the public and sponsored by St. Luke’s Music Ministries. The church is located at 100 West 86th Street Indianapolis, IN 46260.

“America Belongs to Us” explores the idea of the immigrant – coming from another country and growing roots in America, the land of opportunity for all. Leaving behind all that they know, they move to an unfamiliar country, often leaving family, friends behind, to hopefully make a better life for themselves and for the generations to come.

This work was commissioned by Holland Chorale, Ars Voce, and the West Michigan Flute Orchestra to celebrate the diverse Latino culture in West Michigan and within their performing communities.  Through the unique colors of the flute orchestra and choir I wanted to tell this story of an immigrant bringing their culture and heritage to America, and in using two choirs I was able to show the voice of the immigrant becoming part of the fabric of this country. I commissioned Oliver Mayer, a Mexican-American playwright and a professor of Dramatic Playwriting at the University of Southern California to craft a text to tell of the Latino spirit in not only West Michigan, but across the United States.