Former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is highly regarded as a diplomat, political scientist, civil servant and Stanford professor, but she is also a marvelous pianist. She and Grammy Nominated violinist Jenny Oaks Baker have teamed up to record a medley of four African American Spirituals titled “Free at Last Medley”. This medley includes the spirituals Deep River, Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen, Go Down Moses and Free at Last. The arrangement is by Emmy Award-Winning composer Kurt Bestor and was recorded at Stanford University.
This is a second collaboration between Condoleezza Rice and Jenny Oaks Baker. Their first recording together, an arrangement of “Amazing Grace”, was released along with a music video in 2015. Jenny and Condi were thrilled to be able to work together again to create music that will bring healing, peace and unity to our divided world.
The Free At Last video was sponsored by The National Museum of American Religion which will be including it in their upcoming “Evening at the Museum” online video program Abraham Lincoln’s Religion: The Second Inaugural, to be aired later in the spring. According to nmar.org, “This is the first in a series of digital exhibits that explore times when American religious thought has been employed during times of national crisis. The digital first National Museum of American Religion presents, interprets and educates the public about what religion has done to America and what America has done to religion, including the establishment of the revolutionary and indispensable idea of religious freedom as a governing principle. The Museum tells stories of individuals, institutions and movements that have formed the distinctive history of the United States and invites all people to discover how religion has shaped our social, political, economic and cultural lives from the times of the Indigenous Peoples to the present day. Those who experience the Museum will be inspired by the Constitution’s bold commitment to the idea of religious freedom and moved to seek its preservation for future generations.”
Debra WellingMarch 8, 2022
AMEN to both previous comments!
Pania HeimuliMarch 7, 2022
Absolutely beautiful!