Multitude of Voyces

Melanie DeMore (b. 1955)

Melanie DeMore is a singer, composer, community musician and social activist. She was born in the Bronx area of New York but has travelled widely, researching and implementing ways in which music (and in particular, song) can be used as a tool for building stronger communities through education and shared experiences. She helps to preserve the African American Folk Tradition through song and Gullah stick pounding, and works extensively with organisations involved in social justice, including Speak Out!, The Institute for Social and Cultural change, and The Hass Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society. She is highly esteemed as a singer, having been a founder member of the Grammy Award-nominated vocal ensemble Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir. Her teaching is embedded within a wide community in which she is held in high regard for her ability to use song for healing.

A few words from the commissioner of the anthem

'When I first heard Melanie DeMore speak at a Chorus America conference in Washington DC I was mesmerized by her passion for justice and truth and the way her deep alto voice communicated so strongly to everyone. So it was very easy for me seek her out and ask her when she would be coming to Minnesota to be part of a VocalEssence WITNESS concert and sing for a morning service at Plymouth Congregational Church.

She came…and she did not disappoint. Melanie roused everyone with her singing, her words, and her commitment to making our world a better place. I asked her to compose a song that would not be difficult but would attract singers young and old to her powerful words: the result was “Blessed Be” and it has been heard across the USA in churches, schools, community centers, everywhere. Give it a solid beat and don’t rush it – the words are too important!'

Philip Brunelle Director of VocalEssence

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