Author: Caitlyn Kamminga and Adam Walters

Performances of River of Freedom are now being booked in the United States. Written by UTT APA faculty members Caitlyn Kamminga and Adam Walters, and featuring the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago, the work premiered in southern Trinidad in May 2015 to wide acclaim. In August 2018, faculty members Aidan Chamberlain, Mia Gormandy and Caitlyn Kamminga will join members of the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra in a performance of River of Freedom at the Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, NY. The work will also be performed at the University of Delaware, at the Delaware Museum and at the African American Museum in Philadelphia in March 2019.

Written for narrator, solo voice and chamber ensemble, River of Freedom recounts the journey of the African-American slaves who fought with the British in the War of 1812. In exchange for serving in the Corps of Colonial Marines, the ex-soldiers were granted freedom and land in the south of Trinidad. These men were proud of being American and are still known today as 'Merikins'. An extraordinary part of our collective history in the Caribbean, this story has been brought vividly to life through an inter-arts production that integrates words, art and music. 

The book and CD of River of Freedom is available on www.amazon.com