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SING DEMOCRACY 250 - New York Signature Concert presented by DCINY

Performance will include a chorus of 175 singers, including the Together In Hope Choir, Mizzou University Singers, and the Stuyvesant High School Oratorio Choir

Full details available at: www.singdemocracy250.org

(New York, NY) – DCINY will present a performance of Sing Democracy 250 (SD250) in New York, NY on May 24, 2026, at the Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall at 7:00PM. This event marks the third in a series of four Signature Concerts nationwide, commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence through new music, community voices, and a spirit of unity.  The world premiere performance was held in Philadelphia at Marian Anderson Hall in fall 2025, Midwest premier will occur in Minneapolis on April 12^th, and a final performance will be held in Washington, D.C. on June 13. Performers in NYC will include the Together In Hope Choir, Mizzou University Singers, Stuyvesant High School Oratorio Choir, and the Main Line Symphony Orchestra, all led by conductor G. Phillip Shoultz, III. Tickets are $20-$100 and available at https://lincolncenter.org/venue/david-geffen-hall/dciny-presents-sing-democracy-250-98

Through newly commissioned choral works including Redeem the Dream and US, Sing Democracy 250 invites reflection on the founding ideals of the nation and the Declaration of Independence: exploring where those hopes have been fulfilled, where they have fallen short, and presenting the ten habits of good citizenship. 

"As the third stop in our national four-city tour, New York City represents a vital chapter in this celebration,” said co-founders Gary Aamodt and Celia Ellingson. “Our mission is to create a shared musical dialogue that affirms the values that define us as Americans – sovereignty of the people, equality, and our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. By gathering in this iconic space, we hope to inspire a renewed commitment to our democracy, the habits of good citizenship, and our responsibilities to each other and our country.”

"This concert was born out of a deep desire to bring people together to honor the 250th anniversary of our country,” said conductor G. Phillip Shoultz, III. “We are living in a time when division too often defines our public life. Music has a unique power to gather us in the same space, to help us listen to one another, and to remind us of our shared humanity. When we sing together, we practice the very act of community.”

The May concert will feature two new choral works:

• Redeem the Dream, composed by Brandon A. Boyd:
  Redeem the Dream is based on Langston Hughes’ poem “Let America Be America Again,” written in 1935. The poem reflects on the gap between the ideals of American democracy as articulated in the Declaration of Independence and the reality experienced by many people over our history. Yet the poem ends with hope that America can live up to its promises of freedom, equality, and opportunity for all. The poet affirms that we, the people, can and must redeem the vision of America and make America what it is intended to be. Hughes’ poem is introduced by words from the Declaration of Independence.

Boyd is the Marie M. and Harry L. Smith Endowed Chair and Director of Choral Activities at the University of Missouri. His work has been showcased at Carnegie Hall, and he is widely recognized as a conductor, composer, arranger, and pianist whose music is regularly performed across the United States and abroad.

• US, composed by Michael Bussewitz-Quarm:
  US was inspired by Richard Haass’ book The Bill of Obligations, published in 2023, a bold call for Americans to adopt the habits of good citizenship. This piece begins with an urgent invitation, then presents, and unpacks, each of 10 obligations of good citizens with quotations from a diverse group of Americans, from founding fathers to living Americans. These quotes explain each obligation and, in so doing, demonstrate that each of these obligations has been understood and practiced throughout America’s history. The piece concludes with an inspiring call to citizenship, encouraging all citizens to adopt these obligations as an action plan for renewing American democracy.

Bussewitz-Quarm, winner of The American Prize in Choral Composition (2021), is known for music that engages with pressing social and environmental issues—from coral reef conservation to gun violence to the global refugee crisis. Her works have been performed by leading choral ensembles across North America

Beyond the signature concert events, the SD250 initiative expands into the All America Program, a call for choirs nationwide to participate by performing these works in their own communities. More than 150 choirs have committed to 75 performances across 30 states and the District of Columbia from March to December in 2026. At a recent performance, featuring the Arlington Chorale, an audience member shared

"My husband, daughter and I took my in-laws to this concert and were absolutely delighted with the performance and musical selections. We all couldn’t stop saying “That was wonderful!” to each other afterwards. We are on fairly different ends of the political spectrum from my in-laws, but we all took away a very similar message about just who counts as an American and the varied experiences of Americans over time."

Concert Details for Listings

Sing Democracy 250 in New York

Date/Time: May 24, 2026 | 7:00pm
Location: David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center, 10 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023
Tickets: $20- $100 https://lincolncenter.org/venue/david-geffen-hall/dciny-presents-sing-democracy-250-98
G. Phillip Shoultz, III, conductor
Together In Hope Choir
Mizzou University Singers
Stuyvesant High School Oratorio Choir
Main Line Symphony Orchestra

Program:

The Star-Spangled Banner arranged by G. Phillip Shoultz, III
Redeem the Dream by Brandon A. Boyd
US by Michael Bussewitz-Quarm
Lift Every Voice and Sing arranged by G. Phillip Shoultz, III

About Sing Democracy 250

Sing Democracy 250 is a project of Players Philanthropy Fund, a Texas nonprofit corporation recognized by the IRS as a tax-exempt public charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (Federal Tax ID: 27-6601178, ppf.org/pp). Contributions to Sing Democracy 250 qualify as tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

About Together In Hope Choir

The Together In Hope Choir was established in 2018. This community of 50 premier artists primarily from the Minneapolis/St. Paul area was selected through invited auditions. The choir is noted for its artistically excellent and spiritually moving performances of “music with a purpose”.

The Together In Hope Choir sings into issues of our shared humanity with new music commissioned to raise awareness and inspire action through the transformative power of music.  The Choir’s first performance opened the 17th Annual International Festival of Sacred Music and Art at the Papal Basilica St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome in 2018, at the invitation of the Vatican, to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.

Its second major project focused on refugees, immigrants and displaced persons with performances of “The Stranger” at the opening of Olavsfest in Trondheim, Norway, in July 2022, followed by the U.S. premiere of this work with two concerts in St. Paul in October 2022.  This project was done in partnership with USA for UNHCR (the United Nations Refugee Agency).  Nearly 900 people, half the audience at the U.S. premiere concerts, were individuals from local immigrant and refugee communities, attending as guests.  Queen Sonja of Norway also attended the U.S. premiere, and most eloquently expressed the universal message of “The Stranger”: “The concert made a deep impression on me, and I hope that we will keep this in our hearts; that there is more to connect us than to divide us as human beings, no matter where we live and who we are.” (Norwegian American, November 4, 2022)

Together In Hope Project is partnering with Sing Democracy 250 for its third major project. The Together In Hope Choir will serve as the anchor choir for the four Sing Democracy 250 Signature Concerts beginning in Philadelphia in October 2025, and continuing in Minneapolis, New York, and Washington, DC in 2026. 

About G. Phillip Shoultz, III, Artistic Director
Known for fostering community and inspiring action among people of all ages and abilities, G. Phillip Shoultz, III enjoys a multifaceted career as artist, educator, consultant, speaker, and pastoral musician. Phillip serves as Artistic Director of Together In Hope Choir, the anchor choir for Sing Democracy 250, and will conduct the Signature Concerts for Sing Democracy 250 in 2025-2026. He also serves as an advisor and resource to choral leaders who will prepare performances of the Sing Democracy 250 music program in communities large and small throughout this country, as America celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026.

Phillip is also the associate artistic director of VocalEssence, where he founded the VocalEssence Singers Of This Age, a choral apprenticeship program that harnesses the power of group singing to enhance community and awaken creativity in young people. He is Cantor for Music, Worship, and the Arts at Westwood Lutheran Church, and a member of the Graduate Music Education faculty at the University of St. Thomas. Phillip believes in the transformative power of shared singing experiences.

About Main Line Symphony Orchestra
Now in its 79th season, the Main Line Symphony Orchestra (MLSO) was founded on the principles of cultural preservation, educational outreach, and democratic organization that have made community musical ensembles a rich part of the American experience. Rehearsing and performing in the Philadelphia western suburb of Wayne, Pennsylvania, the orchestra draws dedicated musicians of all ages who seek the challenge of performing both standard orchestral literature and new compositions.