Seven Last Words of the Unarmed by Joel Thompson

[@mrsfeathermusicteacher]

“Why do you have your guns out?” - Kenneth Chamberlain, 66 “What are you following me for?” - Trayvon Martin, 16 “Mom, I’m going to college.” - Amadou Diallo, 23 “I don’t have a gun. Stop shooting.” - Michael Brown, 18 “You shot me! You shot me!” - Oscar Grant, 22 “It’s not real.” - John Crawford, 22 “I can’t breathe.” - Eric Garner, 43

[@mireillebertrand3609]

Bouleversant et magnifique à la fois !

[@triillyjay4523]

@@mireillebertrand3609 stfu

[@tly3]

Thank you for remembering their names.

[@thatwhatifguy6078]

Most of them were barely 20? God...

[@julietchristensen3957]

I heard this on the radio tonight, for Juneteenth. What a haunting and beautiful 7 movements. I am never going to forget this.

[@ingridn.8239]

I just watched the 2017 version before this. Both have me crying. Black lives matter. This country needs to change. God bless the protesters.

[@timmypena241]

I love Joel Thompson's ability to synthesize the emotions of each individual, and give them life once again with these beautiful orchestral sounds.

[@kiraw8637]

i have never before listened to something so chilling and so beautiful. a piece of music nor a performance has never moved me as much as this did. thank you for blessing the world with an impeccably timed and haunting performance that i believe will always remain with me.

[@Mr.Johnson97]

This reminds me of Amazing Grace and the tragic beauty of that piece as well. This is phenomenal and I will share it with my network of fellow activists! This art that doesn't just entertain - it engages, educates, and inspires and this is the true purpose of art! The Chinese and Romans realized it. This is a blessing for sure, almost an homage to the humanity of unarmed blacks gunned down by frightened or enraged police. "Every human being is heir to a legacy of dignity and worth" - Dr. King This song almost puts that quote to a tune and its hypnotic. Eugene Rogers, Joel Thompson, and his team of exceptionally talented artists did a perfect job with this!

[@siblingsunite1950]

It some point in this video everyone looks like they are going to cry. They get it. They get the injustice of the world.

[@cfcasey.guitars-ukuleles]

Heartbreaking. When will we ever learn?

[@shermanhesselgrave6635]

Every person on this stage completely owns the music. When have you ever seen a concert where even all the accompanying musicians are playing from MEMORY??

[@ms.sutton3856]

Thank you so much Joel Thompson, Composer and Dr. Eugene Rogers, Musical Director for creating this beautiful, uplifting and wonderful music for our tired and hurting souls. I cried tears of joy and remembered all those who have come before us; leaders and people and those here now. Those who fought, who suffered, were killed, protested and marched tirelessly all in the name of freedom, equality and standing up against injustice. I cried out loud for all the Black men and women and others who have been murdered by the police and others it's heartbreaking that it continues after so many many decades. Please turn protests, frustrations, sadness and anger into VOTES in your towns and cities! *A big warm Shout out to the University of Michigan and the legendary Men's Glee Club!*

[@krishanoberoi]

0:29 "Officers, Why Do You Have Your Guns Out?" (Kenneth Chamberlain) 2:41 "What Are You Following Me For?" (Trayvon Martin) 4:00 "Mom, I'm Going To College" (Amadou Diallo) 7:08 "I Don't Have a Gun, Stop Shooting" (Michael Brown) 8:03 "You Shot Me. You Shot Me!" (Oscar Grant) 9:32 "It's Not Real" (John Crawford) 11:50 "I Can't Breathe" (Eric Garner)

[@juliarollings-south3452]

i am so happy and proud of my choir director for choosing this piece for us to perform next semester. If you’re anywhere near kansas come to Emporia State University and when i find out the date for the performance i’ll add it to this!

[@anabelleclark7904]

Did he send SWACDA before deciding this by chance? Our choir performed it there and it would be cool if that's where your director heard it!

[@mooka4515]

I couldn't hold back the tears at "Mom, I'm going to college." Black Lives Matter.

[@philipvanderlin7631]

Sing, my young friends, sing! Shema, shema shema. Sing. Sing. Deuteronomy 6:4-9! What an inspiration!

[@deniselanders5669]

Music carries the message very well. Real words of those unjustly shot. Heart stopping. Sad. Hope if we unite, accept, stand up, & use our conviction that all have a right to life.

[@karenhenderson4843]

Love the theatricality added. Extremely powerful.

[@notspongebobsquarepants3028]

when they all divided and started saying “you shot me” ... man that really made me even more sad. #blacklivesmatter

[@JM-if6br]

Bravo Michigan. What a beautiful performance.

[@sassyfrassy211]

This is the single most powerful thing all of you can do with your gifts. Thank you. For bringing awareness, for saying the words these men said in their dying moments, and for the energy of feeling that translates from the page, to the note, and right into my heart.

[@kristencamilli5532]

Haunting. And so beautifully performed.

[@teresaknapp-aguirre2506]

My heart is full of sorrow at the lives lost - then and now. This compilation of last words is still applicable now! How can we as a country continue doing this to our fellow men and women? How? Thank you for composing this piece. I'm hoping that your music touches those hearts not previously affected. This is so powerful...like many others commenting here, I cried. For those killed so indiscriminately by people sworn to protect them. There's no word for the betrayal I feel. My hope lies in the protestors...don't stop! My hope is that my fellow white people will not leave our brown and black brothers and sisters hanging; we've got to pick up this fight and let them take a break for God's sake. How many centuries have we white people let them do the fighting? Can we now do what should have been done so many times before and demand change? Vote out those that don't want us as ONE nation. Vote out those that promote bigotry and hate. Vote out those that want to continue American Exceptionalism. America is not exceptional - except in the fact that we've found a way to disguise how we kept slavery alive and well. We should be able to do so very much better. I pray that this time we will.

[@feliciaford5480]

🙏🏽💯✊🏾🤲🙌🏾🫶🤝🏿 YOU NEED TO SPEAK TO THE ENTIRE COUNTRY WITH WHAT YOU JUST SAID. YOU ARE APPRECIATED. WHAT YOU SAID NEEDS TO BE ON THE COVER OF TIME MAGAZINE. JUST BRAVO

[@camille9803]

Goosebumps. Well done young men.

[@alecrechtiene558]

Just so heartbreaking and beautiful. I just got the privilege to see this piece live and meet Joel Thompson! Such a kind and humble individual.

[@NUBALU2005]

Just beautiful and devastating. Bravo!

[@shaybrown4169]

I'm not understanding the dislikes

[@cyberwolf_1013]

I read that the composer, Joel Thompson, faced backlash when this piece was first put to the public. Many in the Classical world didn't want this message to 'stain' their music genre. It was too divisive by 2015 standards.

[@Kiarinadia]

@Cian Abroad it could be that some "absolutist" Blacklivematter find there is too many white singers in the choir !

[@SanSanFu]

1600like and 13 dislike, this is the world and you can see what happen!

[@mtcpianist]

Devastatingly beautiful.

[@stevenzielke8397]

This is such an excellent video. The performance of the Michigan Men's Glee of Joel Thompson's shattering work is iconic. But following with Rogers' arrangement of Glory just brought tears to my eyes.

[@davide.robinsoniii5869]

Wow, I am AMAZED! As a composer myself, this is truly a great work of art. Joel Thompson really poured his heart and soul into this. My father, David Robinson II worked at the Univ. of Michigan for a number of years (retired in 1989). My sister, Dr. Amorie Robinson has taught there as well (and earned her Ph. D.there). The Univ. of Michigan Men's Glee Club are awesome. I saw one of my former youth orchestra (Sinfo-Nia) student's name on the credits for designing the banner - Ariel Merivil. I have arranged "Glory" for strings for Sinfo-Nia. Joel, I wish you much continued success. I also live in metro Atlanta where I taught in Dekalb County Schools for 36 years. I just retired in 2019, but I still conduct my youth orchestra - Still Waters Youth Sinfo-Nia. We have videos on KZbin as well. I am a graduate of Morehouse College, home of the world's famous Morehouse Glee Club.

[@ilenetyler5901]

After yesterday's UM Town Hall for Societal Change, I was moved to listen to this, and it is so powerful, beautiful, sad, and extraordinary. Go Blue!

[@feitocomfruta]

I wrote the rap for my GMC to do with Glory, addressing the things that have affected our LGBTQIA community so that song has a special place in my heart. Now for our next concert we are doing Seven Last Words. Y’all have given me more to think about and work with for our production.

[@amyprice2314]

Amazing! Chills and tears ❤ thank you for writing this piece

[@RobertCassard]

What a powerful way to communicate these injustices! And a masterful performance.

[@Pyrotigre2]

I am in tears.

[@cecelia8290]

These young men SANGING! Love it.

[@claudiasquietwalk]

Incredibly moving. A profound and beautifully crafted expression of the continuing wounds. The singing for Amadou Diallo brings me to tears.

[@karen6964]

What an incredible and astounding work. I truly hope for lots of people to see this extraordinary work. We need this healing now.

[@valeriasoria5687]

Sent chills down my spine and brought me to the verge of tears. BEAUTIFUL

[@riccardo50001]

Whew! So moving and so beautifully staged!

[@esiaji]

Powerful and Timely!

[@carolyneynon2242]

Unforgettable experience. so well done, soloists were breathtaking, strings magnificent, men superb. Love Eugene, congrats, isn't enough said.

[@wiebke3373]

I've never experienced something like this, it's so beautiful and painful to listen to at the same time

[@helga8332]

Ich bin extrem emotional berührt! Wundervoll und gleichzeitig verstörend!

[@chrissys.5248]

Amazing job.

[@robertpangborn4028]

What a strong, moving piece of very meaningful content. I'm so impressed with the performance that I couldn't hold back tears...a great composition.....

[@robertpangborn4028]

Thank you for this experience..........

[@karen6964]

Fantastic. I just heard this. Wonderful.

[@Kastchei]

Incredible composition. Very beautiful.

[@rathinbasu5263]

Simply magnificent and moving! You can change the world - may the force stay with you and spread out into the world. Thank you!

[@victorleonades4159]

May Peace Prevail on Earth

[@petercooney9554]

Wow. So powerful

[@monicamarvin1196]

Thanks for this powerful, important, moving, and heartbreaking compilation.

[@briggsbaritone]

Wow - so very great! HUGE bravo to Dr. Eugene Rogers and Joel Thompson! #sevenlastwords is a huge success - what a great project to be a part of. VERY moving. Congrats to all!

[@superberniecat5042]

This was beautiful and haunting... I might have shed a few tears.

[@tubesnake76]

Incredible. So moving and powerful. When will it stop ...when?

[@curlykeys8261]

This is so powerful. Extremely talented composer and performers!

[@nibyafternight1983]

This piece is definitely thrilling

[@robertklein7353]

So powerful! Kudos from a Michigan State University grad!

[@betsyrobinson8033]

Wow! Thank you

[@jerrydorris2408]

The African-American male experience today. The piece was beautiful, but also haunting. It was hard for me to get through without crying.

[@peteroselador6132]

Amadou Diallo's movement hits different when you think about the fact that this is a college ensemble

[@limbiclove9487]

I sent this to my local police department in my neighborhood.

[@basilfett9011]

Beautifully done, thank you so much, and bless you all. Words just don't capture the magnitude of this gift.

[@crisis8593]

In the end, he cried out for his mother...

[@megan8765]

how does this not have more views? this is beautiful.

[@enriquesanchez2001]

SHARE ON FACEBOOK as I did :)

[@juanlopez-cotarelo7390]

Wow! Wow! Wow! Beautiful.

[@boilingmutt]

Beautiful.

[@petercooney9554]

Absolutely love this. Well done. Any chance the dude playing the drums (Andrew Dowell on percussion?) could post a tutorial video of what he's playing on Glory? it's brilliant!

[@cbigum1]

This video made me cry. I have a 10 year-old mixed raced child. I worry about him all the time.

[@katherinethomas4938]

So impactful. I hope the author will consider including Bijan Ghaisar in his second release. (See Wikipedia - US Park Police) A truly beautiful way to memorialize these innocent men.

[@kmylod]

....and Amaud Arbery, and George Floyd

[@billroberts8984]

Wow, just wow!

[@Daft-SFM]

The scary thing is that this was released 3 days after George Floyd was murdered

[@hannahhh..]

7:44 chills, all of 9:35

[@maribelbaza7353]

❤️

[@nathanhol42001]

Why can't the dislike button ever be disabled? Why does the dislike button even exist?

[@luisenriquerojasduarte3406]

QEPD 😇🌗🌓🌞 ☔ 💧🙏🌈💯❎ 💯

[@DavidMiller1]

Should have added the one from Andrew Meyer, "Don't taze me, bro!"

[@noyisotoanglade]

Read the room.

[@Hopcarr]

Why is there no credit for "Glory"? Written by John Legend and Common.

[@ForrestMurphy-p8v]

Propaganda worthy of the USSR