Join Carlos Jaquez Gonzalez '21, conductor Cheryl Frazes-Hill, documentary photographer Greg Constantine and performers from the Chicago College of Performing Arts for the live world premiere of Immigrant Mass — presented in partnership with Roosevelt University's American Dream Reconsidered Conference.
A plea for understanding. Immigrant Mass; A mixed-media performance reflecting the lives and struggles of those who have sought better lives in America. The mass humanizes immigrants and their experiences through real interviews, striking visuals, and music. The six movement Immigrant Mass is a fusion of the mass ordinary by composer Carlos Jaquez Gonzalez with immigrant experiences and photography collected by documentary photographer Greg Constantine. The Roosevelt University Conservatory Choir and CCPA Orchestra, led by Dr. Cheryl Frazes-Hill, will bring this provocative piece to life. Soloists will sing and embody first-hand accounts of immigrants who have been held in immigration detention prisons across the United States, while documentary photography creates a visual journey throughout this live performance at Ganz Hall. The premiere of this mixed-media collaboration was performed by the Chicago Composers Orchestra and was released online as a multimedia film by Gonzalez in May 2021, and was featured in the Chicago Tribune. The ultimate goal of this mass is to highlight the realities and resilience of humanity. Particularly struggling families and what religion, government, and our role is to help.