First Fruits: A Kwanzaa Cantata

Celebrate the world premiere of First Fruits: A Kwanzaa Cantata, composed by Dr. Dave Ragland with a libretto by Dr. Lora-Ellen McKinney. Presented by the McKinney Legacy Foundation, this new work brings together choir, soloists, instrumentalists, and community members to explore Kwanzaa’s seven principles — unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith — and their connection to the life, legacy, and Centennial birthday of Rev. Dr. Samuel Berry McKinney, civil rights leader and longtime pastor of Mount Zion Baptist Church.

The cantata carries that legacy forward through a celebration of shared responsibility, hope, and the gifts each generation offers the next.

The event begins at Town Hall Seattle on December 11 at 7 PM, or arrive at 6 PM for a pre-concert program featuring films and interviews illuminating McKinney’s life and lasting influence.

Short History of First Fruits: A Kwanzaa Cantata

First Fruits: A Kwanzaa Cantata began during the COVID-19 lockdown, when a group of Pacific Northwest African American classical musicians gathered on Zoom to celebrate Kwanzaa and discuss its seven principles. Dr. Lora-Ellen McKinney summarized each conversation in prose poems, which she read aloud to the group. A participant remarked that the poems sounded like a cantata libretto.

Dr. McKinney then invited composer Dr. Dave Ragland to set the poems to music. He agreed, creating a work that transforms shared reflection into a celebration of Black culture, community, and purpose.

The cantata’s premiere is especially meaningful because Dr. McKinney is the daughter of the Reverend Dr. Samuel Berry McKinney, who would have celebrated his 100th birthday on December 28, 2026. His life of faith, justice, creativity, and community leadership closely reflects the seven principles of Kwanzaa, making the premiere both a celebration and a tribute to his enduring legacy.