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New Album
Songs of Remembering: In Memory of Ahmaud “Quez” Arbery
Tonality, Alexander Lloyd Blake, Wild Up Bright Shiny Things • Released February 27, 2026 • BSTD-0223
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About the Album
Songs of Remembering centers on Running From, Running To: A Musical Reflection on Ahmaud Arbery, an eight-movement work for chorus, soloists, and orchestra. Ahmaud Arbery was twenty-five years old when he was killed while jogging in Georgia in 2020. His family knew him as Quez. That name is written into the music.
The work was co-written with Ogi and created with the blessing and participation of Ahmaud's mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, who contributes spoken text to the work and whose account shaped the writing throughout. It was begun during a residency at Copland House, supported by the MAP Fund, and co-commissioned by The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts and the Patricia Valian Reser Center for the Creative Arts at Oregon State University.
The album is completed by new arrangements of Poor Wayfaring Stranger and the world-premiere recording of Deep River, both arranged by Alexander Lloyd Blake.
Running From, Running To is the first entry in an ongoing body of large-scale memorial works written in collaboration with the families of people killed by injustice.
Tracks
Running From, Running To: A Musical Reflection on Ahmaud Arbery. Music and text by Alexander Lloyd Blake, co-written with Ogi Additional music by Charlie Coffeen, Thomas Kotcheff, Jonathan Bartz, and Clark Rhee.
| Track No. | Title | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | I. Who Was Ahmaud? | 4:05 |
| 02 | II. Life Defined | 1:57 |
| 03 | III. Oak and Pine Trees | 4:58 |
| 04 | IV. Satilla Shores | 3:06 |
| 05 | V. The Incident | 3:10 |
| 06 | VI. Running From, Running To | 5:38 |
| 07 | VII. No More! | 3:58 |
| 08 | VIII. Running Free | 5:01 |
| 09 | Deep River (arr. Alexander Lloyd Blake) | 3:42 |
| 10 | Poor Wayfaring Stranger (arr. Alexander Lloyd Blake) | 4:13 |
| 11 | No More! (a cappella) from Running From, Running To | 3:46 |
Running From, Running To complete: 31:53. Album total: 43:34.
Performers
Soloists
Angel Blue, soprano; Jamal M. Moore, baritone; Ogi, alto
Tonality
Sopranos: Hagar Sara Adam, Anna Crumley, Cassandra Duschane, Triniti Gistand, Vi Jordan, Gracie Laboy; Altos: Hannah Abrahim, Evelyn Fajardo, Even Johnson, Hannah Lewis, Angelica Rowell, Alex Siegers; Tenors: Jake Angel, Samuel Avila, Isaiah Chacon, David F. Morales, Josh Munnell, Rohan Ramanan; Basses: Antonio Fernandez, Sam Garcia, Dylan Gentile, Lorenzo Zapata, Matthew Lewis, Ian Luna
Wild Up
Violin: Mona Tia, Adrianne Pope; Viola: Carson Rick; Cello: Niall Taro; Bass: Marlon Martinez; Oboe: Arthur Klaassens; Flute: Erin McKibben; Piano: Vicki Ray; Percussion: Brian Cannady
Production
Produced by Joseph Trapanese Engineered by John Chapman and Alex Venguer (tracks 1 and 8) Assistant engineering by Jeff Fitzpatrick Mastered by Jett Galindo Dolby Atmos mastering by Jett Galindo and Will Kennedy at Studio Delux Immersive Recorded at Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, California, August 26, 2025, and Second Story Sound, New York, New York, September 4, 2025 Artwork by Daniel Hurlin Music published through EKALB Music Inc.
Press
San Francisco Classical Voice — review by Jason Victor Serinus, March 2026
BBC Music Magazine — review by George Hall, April 2026
Los Angeles Times — feature, May 2025
Musical America — album announcement, February 2026
With Thanks
Wanda Cooper-Jones and the Ahmaud Arbery Foundation. Copland House, where Running From, Running To was begun. The MAP Fund, whose support made the creation, premiere, and recording possible. The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts and the Patricia Valian Reser Center for the Creative Arts, co-commissioners. Warner Bros. Studios for the donation of recording space. Joe Trapanese. Imani Tolliver, for guidance with the text. Emily LaSalle, Ninette Ayala, and Alex Morales.
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