“Wheels of a Dream” celebrates equity and opportunity

On Sunday April 2nd pedestrians in downtown Easton were treated to an unusual
sight and sound. Over 80 singers stood in front of the Talbot County Courthouse
to produce a professional video performance of the song “Wheels of a Dream”.
They were part of a collaboration between Easton Choral Arts Society and the
Chester River Chorale. The sound part of the video was recorded the previous
Saturday.
Both groups are directed by Artistic Director Alexis Renee Ward. Both groups are
preparing for their spring concerts at the end of April. “Wheels of a Dream” will
be featured on both of those programs.
The song is from the musical “Ragtime”, which takes place in New York in the
early 1900s. A time of great affluence for some, many immigrants arriving from
Europe, women who were seeking equal rights, and Black people whose families
had descended from slaves and went to the cities to find work, homes and justice.
“Wheels of a Dream” uses the newly invented automobile (available to many
ordinary people due to Henry Ford’s assembly line) to symbolize opportunity for
people who had lived in poverty and oppression. It speaks of new horizons,
greater understanding between people from different backgrounds and
opportunities not just for the people of those times, but for future generations of
their children.
It seemed appropriate for this project to be filmed in front of the statue of
Maryland’s own groundbreaker, abolitionist Frederick Douglas – one of the most
influential voices for democracy and equality in history.
When completed, the video will be posted on Facebook and the websites of both
choruses. Visit the groups’ websites to view the video and for more information
about their concerts: