Recipient Information
Location
Atlanta, Georgia
Year of Award
2023
Grant or Fellowship
Jazz Road Creative Residencies Grant
Grant Amount
$40,000
The Chapel Choir of Syracuse University has invited Theodicy Jazz Collective to compose, perform, and record a suite of Freedom Songs. This exciting initiative creates the opportunity to expand our audience and deepen our relationship with the University; create cross-cultural experiences with students and foster their exploration of world religions and movements for human dignity; and generate content for choirs across the country.
About the Artists
Theodicy Jazz Collective is arguably the nation’s foremost liturgically based jazz ensemble, having led services and workshops at venues such as Washington National Cathedral, Canterbury Cathedral, and Oxford and Yale universities. The Theodicy Jazz Collective was formed at Oberlin Conservatory in 2006 and grew during residency at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music from 2008 to 2012. The band creates and leads services for a multitude of churches. The ensemble incorporates sounds from the traditions of jazz and gospel music and rhythms from Latin America and Africa. Theodicy describes their music as “a constant prayer, sometimes a shout of joy, sometimes a call to action, sometimes a cry for hope.”