Projects

We Hold These Truths:
A Choral Concert for America’s 250th

Sunday, November 15, 2026 · 4:00 pm
Hendricks Chapel at Syracuse University
Free and open to the public

Two hundred and fifty years ago, a nation made a promise — equality, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all. We are still striving to make it true.

We Hold These Truths: A Choral Concert for America's 250th is presented as part of the Malmgren Concert Series and the Syracuse University Humanities Symposium. We will come together as a community to celebrate and reflect on America's founding ideals and on the enduring need to continue fighting for freedom and justice for all.

At the center of the program is the world premiere of commissioned works by award-winning Syracuse University composers Dr. Natalie Draper and Dr. Loren Loiacono, supported by a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts, performed by Ensemble Sonora. Dr. Draper's piece weaves together re-imagined American texts, including Katharine Lee Bates's "America the Beautiful," Emma Lazarus's "The New Colossus," Samuel Francis Smith's "My Country 'Tis of Thee," the Declaration of Independence, and the Pledge of Allegiance.

The concert unites voices across generations: Liverpool High School Treble Ensemble, Nottingham High School Treble Choir, SU Vox Salina, Ensemble Sonora, and the Spirit of Syracuse Chorus — alongside a community sing-along.

Audience members are invited to add "My Dream for America is..." to a growing lobby display — a living, collective portrait of hope for the country, shared with the broader community online.

PRESENTED BY

Malmgren Concert Series · Syracuse University Humanities Symposium

ADDITIONAL FUNDING PROVIDED BY

New York State Council on the Arts · Syracuse Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Engagement