The 2026 season marks a special year at WorldStrides as we ramp up unique travel programs to celebrate the 250th anniversary of America’s founding. Kicking off our Festival at Carnegie Hall 2026 season, WorldStrides has commissioned a new choral work with Dr. Christopher Aspaas, who will also conduct the piece’s debut at Carnegie Hall. Singers of the National Youth Choir performing under Dr. Aspaas’s direction will perform the new work titled “We the People” for the first time on the main stage at the famed Carnegie Hall in New York.
“I find it truly exciting that this work will be premiered in New York City with singers from across the country.” said Aspaas. The piece draws on texts from the Preamble to the Constitution as well as the Declaration of Independence inspired by Aspaas’s desire to inspire and give hope to his own children.
“In our current society, I observe young people feeling powerless and unheard,” said Aspaas when asked about what inspired the work. “Patriotism has assumed a pejorative status for many, and for those that consider it a positive value, they don’t know how to actually express it in ways that do not exclude or diminish.”
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Notes from Christopher:
Here is some up front information on the piece. I think it will be called We the People since it draws on texts from the Preamble to the Constitution as well as the Declaration of Independence. My inspiration comes from a number of places…
We are living in a time when more and more people in the United States feel disenfranchised and misunderstood. We don’t communicate with civility and discourse, and many among us don’t really know what the Founding Documents of our country say—not just the words, but rather, the intent. The American Revolutionaries were railing against governance from afar and seeking independence from being ruled unjustly ("That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”)
The opening of the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence set forth ideals for society—then and now—that seek to elevate each and every member of that society.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
The opening of the Preamble, “We the People…” invites us all to be a part of the “We.” It does not say, We the citizens, We the wealthy, we the powerbrokers, we the elite—it says, “We the People.” It insists that we, the human beings in this country, are all a part of it—young or old, rich or poor, known or unknown. In our current society, I observe young people feeling powerless and unheard. Patriotism has assumed a pejorative status for many, and for those that consider it a positive value, they don’t know how to actually express it in ways that do not exclude or diminish.
This new work will invite the singers and listeners to celebrate what we can be as a modern society: a place where every person has the ability to realize the “unalienable rights” of “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” sought after by the Founders centuries ago.
As a parent of three, I want desperately my kids to have the opportunity to thrive in a country where they and all young people can realize themselves as they see fit with the support of our society and our government.
I find it truly exciting that this work will be premiered in New York City with singers from across the country, and my hope and desire is that it will be a work that is inviting to choirs as a vehicle for the expression of faith in the Founders ideals for our country
Right now, the libretto looks like this:
We the People
- The young
- The old
- The rich and the poor
- Fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, the People
- Leaders
- Learners
- Neighbors
- Strangers
- The same
- The different
- The wretched refuse yearning to breathe free
We are the People.
We hold these truths to be self-evident,
that all (men) are created equal,
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,
that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
The world premiere of We the People will take place on Sunday, March 8, 2026, at Carnegie Hall, as part of our Festival at Carnegie Hall 2026 season. Under Dr. Aspaas’s direction, the National Youth Choir will debut this powerful new work in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.
Jan update
The commission piece is finally DONE! I hope that it meets expectations for everyone involved!!!
It utilizes the texts I had shared earlier as well as some of my own and times out to a little over 4 minutes. I think that it will be a great finale to our set!
I am linking to a Dropbox folder with a PDF score, part tracks (S, A, T, B) and an mp3 of the piano part. The part tracks have the specific voice part in the right channel and the other voice parts in the left channel so that the singers can have some context while working with them. Hopefully, the notation of the score is clear enough—this is my first project using new engraving software now that Finale has been killed off.
If any of the collaborating teachers/schools have questions, please reach out directly at c.aspaas@tcu.edu. (I am on the road for some festivals and an all-state before coming to NYC but should not be out of contact for too long!) There is some divisi (most in the sopranos, some in the altos and a tiny bit in the tenors and basses). There are also some higher tertian harmonies and chromaticism, but I tried to make it easier through stepwise motion and voice leading. Additionally, I have tried to make the piano part supportive for the singers.
AND there are some parts of the piece that should be really quite accessible!
- Mm. 9-19 and 94-104 are virtually identical (except in different keys).
- Mm. 23-29, 46-51, 55-58 are SA or TB unison exchanges
- Mm. 73-89 is only on the pitches C and D and mostly homorhythmic
A few suggestions for success:
- Some vocalizations using half-step motion will help students gain confidence with the chromaticism and language of the piece
- Whole tone exercises will also help expand their ears to some of the harmonies
- For the modulation mm. 60-62: the choir lands on an A-flat major sonority and the soprano 2's C natural becomes our new 'do' in C Major. Practicing this out of context will make that modulation happen more easily.
About Dr. Christopher Aspaas:
Dr. Christopher Aspaas is Associate Professor and Division Chair of Choral Activities at TCU. An accomplished conductor, educator, and composer, Dr. Aspaas is widely recognized for his dynamic leadership and commitment to inspiring young musicians through meaningful choral experiences.
