Angel Bat Dawid’s “BLK Metropolis Apocalypse"

Written By Kori Coleman

D-Composed joined forces with composer & multi-instrumentalist for the first presentation of“ BLK Metropolis Apocalypse: An Afro-Sermonic Suite for String Quartet & Clarinet” at Constellation in partnership with United States Artists.

“BLK Metropolis Apocalypse,” commissioned by and for D-Composed, is an immersive, four-movement suite that explores the rich tapestry and historical significance of Chicago’s Black community.

Inspired by the seminal work “Black Metropolis: A Study of Negro Life in a Northern City” by St. Clair Drake and Horace Clayton, this composition blends traditional and contemporary musical elements – including free jazz, blues, gospel, classical, and Afrofuturist electronics, and improvisation into a multi-sensory experience.

The performance took audiences on a journey through Chicago, with movements titled “Down South (soufside), Out West (westside), Ova East (soufshore), and Up North (tha jungle),” each representing the geographies' unique feelings & identities.

Featured Ensemble Members
Khelsey Zarraga - Violin
Anya Brumfield - Violin
Wilfred Farquharson - Viola
Lindsey Sharpe - Cello

Kori Coleman
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