Initial Thoughts from Scott Tucker

In my time as Artistic Director of Choral Arts, I was privileged to hear the inspiring speeches given at our annual MLK memorial concerts at the Kennedy Center. Marian Wright Edelman, Bryan Stevenson, Sherrilyn Ifill, and LaTosha Brown stand out as just a few of those who told us that fighting against racism is a daily effort, and that it is exhausting if you think you are doing it alone, but uplifting when it is a common goal. Little by little, those messages have shaped my thinking and seeped into my subconscious.

When George Floyd was murdered, it brought back a powerful memory of feelings I had as a little boy when MLK and RFK were killed. I remember wanting to respond back then, and not knowing how. As time went on after these incidents, the urgency that many felt to make authentic change faded as people settled back into their comfortable routines. I didn’t want that to happen to me this time. I didn’t want to become complacent.

The Washington Douglass Chorale feels like the right response. Here is something to which I can apply my knowledge and experience that will address those issues smoldering inside, with no outlet. When Nolan and I first discussed it, I could see in his eyes that he felt the same. The name of the chorus was his idea. To me, that name seems predestined, like something that has been waiting to be claimed at the right time.

Every choir is primarily about the music, but through that shared love of singing and striving towards excellence together, community is built. It is my hope that the WDC community will serve as a model for what is possible when people transcend their differences and work together to celebrate their common humanity.

- Scott Tucker, Co-Artistic Director, Washington Douglass Chorale