“Deep in our history of struggle for freedom, Canada was the North Star.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
I know you’re thinking yay, let’s talk about history. Well, we are, but through music. I love talking about how a string orchestra can make music a story, and make history come alive. I love talking about the song, “North Star to Freedom (In Honor of the Underground Railroad)“. I love how I talk about North Star to Freedom, especially when it’s Black History Month every February. I love mentioning how playing this song makes me engage a lot with it. I love playing “North Star to Freedom” on both violin and viola parts. Also, for those who are new, I talk a lot about Soon Hee Newbold. I chose her because she gives the string orchestra in each section a chance at the melody. I love talking about her any day of the week.
Please listen to North Star to Freedom (In Honor of the Underground Railroad) while reading About the Music.
About the Music:
In honor of the Underground Railroad, North Star to Freedom was commissioned by the 2008 OMEA District 14 Junior High Honor Orchestra in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Slaves in the South followed the North Star to various safe houses and stops to reach the North for their freedom. Many would journey as far as Canada, where they were safe from being forced back to the South. Traditional songs like Follow the Drinking Gourd and Swing Low, and Sweet Chariot were codes and instructions for fleeing slaves.
Ohio was a crucial part of the Underground Railroad because many people used the Ohio River to cross into freedom. The journeys were very dangerous due to extreme weather, long and treacherous paths between stips, inadequate clothing and food, and spies and bounty hunters who returned slaves to the South.