What 150 Voices Can Hold: Reflections on Joyful Abundance with the Mendelssohn Chorus of Philadelphia by Octavia McBride-Ahebee

I’m a wordsmith, but words alone can’t fully capture the beauty, shared vision, creativity, and collaboration that came together in Saturday’s extraordinary concert by the Mendelssohn Chorus of Philadelphia.

The performance marked the debut of the Joyful Abundance initiative, in which five local poets were paired with five composers to create original works exploring the question, “What Now?”, a particularly timely theme as we approach the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

I had the honor and pleasure of collaborating with Grammy-nominated composer Ted Babcock and the phenomenal poet Kirwyn Sutherland, who served as my mentor, to create my piece, *Electric Bloom*. Hearing it performed by the Mendelssohn Chorus, a 150-voice ensemble celebrating its 152nd season, was truly unforgettable.

I wish I could share the full performance here, but the video is simply too long. If you’d like to hear the Mendelssohn Chorus of Philadelphia bring my commissioned poem Electric Bloom to life, I invite you to visit my Substack, where I’ve shared this extraordinary moment. Here is the link:
 https://open.substack.com/pub/octaviamcbride/p/what-150-voices-can-hold-reflections?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

My deepest thanks to Dominick DiOrio, Artistic Director and Conductor of the Chorus, and to the entire staff whose dedication and hard work made this remarkable experience possible.

With Dominick DiOrio, far left , and Ted Babcock

I feel especially blessed to have shared this milestone with family and friends who came to celebrate with me: Sojourner and Sami; Laura and Osama; Phyllis; my young writing colleague Conor; my dear Aunt Mabel, who has been attending my events since I was a little girl; my favorite cousin Carol, my dearest Mona; Danni; Gideon; Mr. Norm; Renee; and my beloved Powel School family-Ms. Bunyon, Coach Spivey, Brandy, and Lynnette.

My heart is full of gratitude for this experience and for everyone who helped bring *Electric Bloom* to life.