BENNINGTON – The enduring spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. resonated through the Bennington Theater on monday, as award-winning teacher and performer Garland Nelson and his Joyful Noise Spirit choir delivered a free festivity of music and remembrance. The performance highlighted the power of voice as a cultural force, even in the face of profound loss.
“How do you, as a people, formulate culture when you are taken from everything you’ve ever had? With the one thing you can transport… Your own voice,” said Nelson.
A History Sung in Freedom
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The performance traced the evolution of Black musical expression from slavery to the Civil rights Movement.
The concert showcased a range of gospel and protest songs, while Nelson illuminated the standing-room-only crowd with the history of music born from hardship. He explored the origins of African Call and Response and Plantation songs,charting their growth into Gospel and Protest Songs,ultimately culminating in the music that fueled Dr.King’s non-violent movement in the 1960s.
What was the significance of music during the Civil rights Movement? Music served as a powerful tool for organizing, inspiring, and sustaining the movement, providing a voice for the voiceless and a soundtrack for change.
Recognized for Artistic Excellence
Nelson and his Saratoga Springs-based Joyful noise Spirit Choir have garnered meaningful recognition for their work. The group has received Eddie Music Award (Capital District Thomas Edison Music Awards) nominations and awards in 2019, 2020, 2023, 2024, and 2025. They were also honored as Saratoga Today’s Best of the Saratoga Region in 2023. In 2024, the choir was featured on the PBS – WMHT Special “On Gospel Music in the Upstate NY” and earned the 2024 Reader’s Choice Best award from The Saratogian.
“I thought it was pretty freakin’ amazing to be honest with you,” Nelson said. “It became abundantly clear to me that this was a program that would be best suited to this community, both the history of the music, as well as what the music and the roots of the music meant relating to MLK and that slave history. It was a perfect combination that was absolutely felt in that room.”
Community Support and Reflection
Several grassroots organizations attended the event, including the Bennington County NAACP and the Justice Center, which sponsored the celebration alongside multiple Bennington faith communities. Nelson emphasized the importance of remembering the past to inform the future.
“We have to learn from the past to talk about the future,” Nelson told the audience, before quoting Frederick Douglass. “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.Power concedes nothing without demand. It never did, and it never will.”
Explanation of Changes & How the Questions are Answered:
* Why: The event was held to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy and highlight the power of music as a cultural force, especially within the Black community’s struggle for freedom and equality.
* Who: Garland Nelson and his Joyful Noise Spirit Choir were the primary performers. The event was sponsored by the Bennington County NAACP, the Justice Center, and multiple Bennington faith communities. The audience consisted of community members.
* What: A free concert and remembrance event featuring gospel and protest songs tracing the evolution of Black musical expression from slavery to the civil Rights Movement.
* How did it end?: The event concluded with Nelson emphasizing
