2021 Annual Dr. MLK, Jr. Celebration: Community Sing-in

Our annual event typically ends with all attendees joining hands to sing “We Shall Overcome.” This year, for our virtual celebration, we are asking members of our community to individually (or with members of their household) record themselves singing "We Shall Overcome" so that we can compile a video to play at the conclusion of our celebration. We look forward to celebrating with you at our virtual event on January 18, 2021!

Music: “We Shall Overcome”

• Three verses: (the lyrics we’re using are DIFFERENT from the lyrics printed on the sheet music)
  1. We shall overcome - sung in unison
  2. We'll walk hand in hand - the first half will be sung by Soprano/Alto voices, the second half will be sung by Tenor/Bass voices.
  3. We are not afraid - 4-part harmony (all voices)

(if you’re not sure what your voice part is, just listen to the practice tracks and sing along to the track that best matches your voice!)

• Practice tracks for all voice parts and the accompaniment track (this is what you’ll listen to while you make your recording) can be found here:
  • https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1VHWwwWe0DvZdoj63RHLja0D-b7PG40az?usp=sharing

• Sheet music (don’t forget - our lyrics are different from the printed music!)
  • https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Yv81gm7FZuhAJeGZfDFE_-t7V4GbhLlA/view?usp=sharing

Timeline:

• Week of Nov. 8: Participants receive rehearsal tracks and begin practicing
• Week of Dec. 13: Participants finalize recordings and send them to [email protected]
• by Saturday, December 19th .
• January 18: Virtual performance is shared at the Dr. MLK, Jr. Celebration!

Recording Guidelines:

• Film in mp4 or mov video format using a phone, computer, or camera to record.
• Set up your camera to record horizontally.
• Faces should be visible and well-lit (do not record with the performer's back to a light or window).
• Wear either all black or choir robes for your recording.
• When you record, wear headphones or earbuds to listen to the accompaniment/click track so that no sounds other than the participants voice are heard. Avoid background noise by turning off TV/radio and pausing conversation during the recording session.
• Perform and record the entire length of the song (it will help us sync videos if you start recording 5 seconds before you begin playing the music and continue recording 5 seconds after the song finishes).

Questions? Email Katy at [email protected] 

2021 Annual Dr. MLK, Jr. Celebration