This disc is drawn from a 1997 concert program of the Lawrence Conservatory Contemporary Music Ensemble commemorating the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with works by composers of color. The selections were made by Bridget-Michaele Reischl who had already conducted a performance of Wendell Logan's Runagate, Runagate while on the faculty of the Oberlin Conservatory and knew it to be a major contribution. She was encouraged by Kathleen Murray and Dane Richeson to consider A La Par by Tania León, who had coached the duo for a performance at the Ravinia Festival. Having worked previously with tenor William Brown, Reischl included a work written specifically for his voice: David Baker's Through This Vale of Tears. To round out the program, she scheduled music by Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson, whose Toccata under the fingers of Michael Kim elicited an explosive reaction from the audience and stimulated the inclusion of Perkinson's second sonata, Statements, performed by Anthony Padilla. Thus each of these pieces is unique and has proven to be attractive to performers and audiences alike. Taken as a whole, the repertoire adds to the growing awareness of the major contributions of outstanding African-American composers. — Dominique-René de Lerma, Lawrence University