The world has been dealing with a lot of negative things. The pandemic has claimed thousands of lives and continues to affect tons of people. And then, there’s racism. The death of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and many others has encouraged a lot of people to speak up about the issue.
The members of the Detroit Youth Choir thought of supporting the Black Lives Matter movement.
As singers, they decided to use their voice to “speak up” about what’s happening in society today. Honestly, they picked the right song to express their views.
They chose Glory, a 2014 hit song by John Legend and Common.
Grace Franklin, a member of the choir, shared:
“We did a cover of Glory by Common and John Legend because of everything that is going on in the world. There has been a lot of police brutality and everything like that so it is just a way to uplift spirits.”
The video started inside a church.
There, the members of the choir started singing the lyrics of the popular song from the movie Selma. Their voices were as mesmerizing as the melody of the song.
A few seconds into the video, one of the members removed her choir robe to reveal an important message: “We Are One”.
DYC’s version of the song combined interesting elements.
They added bits of gospel, hip hop, and rap which made the song a lot more powerful. They even included an original chorus that pays tribute to the pandemic and the racial injustice people are witnessing these days.
Wearing shirts with the same message and walking along the Power to the People mural, the choir was able to reach a lot of people with their song.
Their video has earned a lot of comments. Most of them praise the choir’s talent.
One of the viewers said:
“This is beautiful, moving and inspiring. Bravo!!!! I live over in Basel, Switzerland now, but I was born in Detroit. May all of the beautiful, talented and courageous young people in this video continue to shine so brightly. You are already making a difference. I have goosebumps and you had me in tears. Systemic racism must finally come to an end.”
Another one shared:
“So moving and beautiful. More importantly I hope your song inspires action in many others as it has for me.”
A viewer reacted:
“Powerful. From their lips to OUR ears. We owe these kids a better reality.”
DYC’s version didn’t just impress a lot of people online. Even John Legend, the artist who wrote the song, has nothing but praises for them.
In a Tweet, he said:
“Beautiful. Powerful. Thank you.”
David Oyelowo, the actor who played the role of Martin Luther King Jr in the movie, said:
“This rendition of ‘Glory’ by DYC moves me to my core. As it did in our film ‘Selma,’ this version captures our historical and daily cry for justice and equality as Black people in America.”
Since the song and video were done during a pandemic, the choir and the people who made the video possible observed safety measures. They practiced social distancing while rehearsing. They also wore masks whenever possible.
The choir has an incredible spirit and voice. At a time when most people are losing hope, they bring something positive and that’s really important these days.
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