Long before the recent presidential election was decided, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer (Democrat-NY and Chairman of the 2013 Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies) selected The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir to perform its new rendition of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” at the official ceremony of the 57th Presidential Inauguration.
The inauguration is scheduled to take place on the steps of the U.S. Capitol on January 21, 2013 before an expected crowd of a half million people on the National Mall.
Attendees will include former Presidents, Senators, Representatives, and Cabinet Officials. The event will be broadcast live around the world.
“I’m pleased to invite The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir to perform at the 57th Inauguration in January,” Schumer said this past June when he announced the choir’s addition to the program. “As a frequent visitor to their wonderful congregation I know from first-ear experience how amazing this choir is, and I know they will wow the whole nation, too.”
The novel rendition of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” was arranged by the choir’s founder, Carol Cymbala, and its music director, Jason Michael Webb, with majestic orchestral accompaniment that’s punctuated with innovative new harmonies while maintaining the classic feel of one of America’s most beloved anthems. Alicia Olatuja, a mezzo-soprano who has performed at Carnegie Hall, leads the song. It will be bundled with the rousing new anthem, “Let Your Kingdom Come” (led by Brandon Camphor), as an iTunes (and other online music retailers) digital download and made available to the public on January 15th. Both tunes are featured on the choir’s forthcoming spring CD release, “Love Lead The Way” – it’s 28th recorded album.
The 300-voice choir is a blend of ethnic and economic backgrounds, with members ranging from lawyers and doctors to former drug addicts. Over the years, the choir has performed at major venues such as Radio City Music Hall and Madison Square Garden. Their amazing legacy includes six Grammy Awards, seven Dove Awards, two #1 Billboard charting CDs and over four million albums sold.
Visit www.brooklyntabernacle.org for more information on the choir.
