Martin Luther King Jr. is remembered as one of the most influential and inspirational African-American leaders in history. Through his activism and inspirational speeches, he played a pivotal role in ending legal segregation, and received the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition.

 

In 1968, at only 39 years of age, Martin Luther King Jr. was tragically assassinated following a speech at the Mason Temple in Memphis. His life and work have been honoured with a national holiday, and through this work the composer pays musical tribute to the visionary leader who had a seismic impact on race relations throughout the United States.

"Let Freedom Ring" are words spoken by Martin Luther King Jr. during his famous "I Have a Dream" speech, and are the inspiration behind this work, commissioned by David Childs especially for Paul Richards and the Flowers Band, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King's death.

 

The world premiere, given by Paul Richards and Flowers under the baton of David Childs, formed part of Flowers Band's winning performance at 2018 Butlin's Mineworkers Championships, where Paul Richards also won the soloist prize.

 

Let Freedom Ring can be heard on the 2018 CD release, Celebrate - 50 years of Flowers.