Melissa Dunphy

Other Arrangements

SAB choir

American DREAMers was commissioned by Philadelphia community choir PhilHarmonia (Mitos Andaya Hart, Director) to bring to light the stories of immigrants in the wake of anti-immigrant rhetoric during and after the 2016 election.

Related Works

American DREAMers (SATB choir)

Five texts from five young Americans who were brought to America as children were chosen—Marlene Rangel, Javier Zamora, Janine Joseph, Julia Montejo, and Claudia D. Hernández—and those texts were woven into a multi-movement work that honors their story and inspires hope, empathy, and action. #UnitedWeDream is the final movement, a protest folk hymn.


#UnitedWeDream
By Claudia D. Hernández

Aquí estamos.
This is where we found our home away from home.
This is where we belong.
Mother Earth, who feeds us all,
takes our roots,
their roots,
no matter how long,
how short—
she’s whispering:
this is where you belong.
R E S I S T! R E S I S T!
Pelea con diente y madre!
This is where you belong, Dreamer!


SPECIAL THANKS
Jennifer Baker
Silvana Cardell
Karen Lopez
Maria Sotomayor

Artwork by Mike Dunn and Cameryn Richards.

Performances

• 18 Oct, 2024: Ohlone Chamber Singers at Ohlone College, Fremont, CA
• 09 Mar, 2024 - 10 Mar, 2024: Edina Chorale at Calvary Christian Reformed Church, Edina, MN
• 07 Mar, 2024: The Sunday Night Singers at First United Methodist Church, Pasadena, CA
• 03 Mar, 2024: National Lutheran Choir at Duke University Chapel, Durham, NC
• 03 Mar, 2024: The Sunday Night Singers at Transplants Brewing Company, Palmdale, CA
• 02 Mar, 2024: National Lutheran Choir at St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church, Lexington, SC
• 01 Mar, 2024: National Lutheran Choir at Grace Chapel, Lenoir-Rhyne University, Hickory, NC
• 25 Feb, 2024: Chorus Austin at Austin Central Library, Austin, TX
• 24 Feb, 2024: Chorus Austin at Asian American Cultural Institute, Austin, TX
• 17 Feb, 2024: Blake Music – Chamber Orchestra and A Cappella Choir at Minneapolis Convention Center, Minneapolis, MN
• 08 Dec, 2023 - 09 Dec, 2023: Highland Park Community Chorus at Highland Park Reformed Church, Highland Park, NJ
• 19 Nov, 2023: Tucson Masterworks Chorale at Grace St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Tucson, AZ
• 29 Oct, 2023: Singing City Choir at Temple Performing Arts Center, Philadelphia, PA
• 02 Jul, 2023: First Congregational Church Cathedral Choir at First Congregational Church of LA, Los Angeles, CA
• 22 Feb, 2023: John P Stevens High School Chamber Ensemble at Aronoff Center for the Arts, Proctor and Gamble Hall, Cincinnati, OH
• 11 Dec, 2022: Sacred and Profane Chamber Chorus at The 222, Healdsburg, CA
• 10 Dec, 2022: Sacred and Profane Chamber Chorus at St Mark’s Lutheran Church, San Francisco, CA
• 09 Dec, 2022: Sacred and Profane Chamber Chorus at St Mark’s Lutheran Church, Berkeley, CA
• 29 Oct, 2022: MN Chorale at Roseville Lutheran Church, Roseville, MN
• 02 Oct, 2022: Minnesota Chorale & Border CrosSing at Unity Church-Unitarian, Saint Paul, MN
• 01 Oct, 2022: Minnesota Chorale & Border CrosSing at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Minneapolis, MN
• 07 Aug, 2022: Isthmus Vocal Ensemble at Christ Presbyterian Church, Madison WI
• 05 Aug, 2022: Isthmus Vocal Ensemble at Luther Memorial Church, Madison, WI
• 22 May, 2022: Seattle ProMusica at St. James Cathedral, Seattle, WA
• 21 May, 2022: Seattle ProMusica at St. James Cathedral, Seattle, WA
• 08 May, 2022: LA Master Chorale at Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, CA
• 05 Mar, 2022: OAKE National High School Chamber Choir at The Westin Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
• 10 Oct, 2021: Choir of Christ Chapel at Christ Chapel, St Peter, MN
• 09 Oct, 2021: Tonality at St John's Episcopal Cathedral, Los Angeles, CA
• 02 Oct, 2021: Resonance Ensemble at Cerimon House, Portland, OR
• 04 Dec, 2020: Carleton College Choir at Carleton Skinner Memorial Chapel, Northfield, MN
• 06 May, 2019: Southern Connecticut State University at Spring Glen Church, Hamden, CT