Join Mendelssohn Chorus of Philadelphia for an extraordinary afternoon of world premieres as we present Joyful Abundance, featuring five original choral works created by emerging Philadelphia composers and poets. This groundbreaking concert pairs these exciting new compositions with Randall Thompson's beloved Testament of Freedom, creating a powerful dialogue between past and future.

As part of ArtPhilly: What Now: 2026—a city-wide festival celebrating the 250th anniversary of the birth of our country—this concert asks vital questions about America's past, present, and future through the voices of a new generation of artists.

Joyful Abundance represents more than a concert—it's our answer to What Now? Through mentorship with established Philadelphia composers and poets these emerging voices have crafted works that illuminate shared human experiences while celebrating our city's varied creative landscape.

Each composer-poet team will briefly share their creative process, followed by the poet's recitation of their original work, before the choral performance brings the collaboration to life. This unique format offers audiences intimate insight into how these new voices are addressing the challenges and possibilities of our time.

Joyful Abundance launches what will become a permanent bi-annual program, funded in part by the Alan Harler New Ventures Fund, supporting Philadelphia's emerging composers and poets, creating a lasting legacy that extends far beyond this season.

This project is supported in part by donations made to the Alan Harler New Ventures Fund, ArtPhilly, and The Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia.