Last week we released our latest single, “Room For All” to commemorate the anniversary of the 1960-61 wade-in protests that led to the desegregation of beaches on the South Side of Chicago. “Room For All” is the climactic and joyful gospel-tinged number from Rainbow Beach, an in-development full-length musical production inspired by the wade-in protests. This piece of immersive history recounts these nonviolent protests in which demonstrators demanded equal access by stepping into whites-only waters, and speaks truthfully to the violence that ensued.
The piece features a call-and-response technique typical of the gospel music that inspired it. We sat down with the two soloists that lead the call-and-response, Ella Anello and Christian Hampton, to learn about what the song means to them, what it’s like to be a soloist on a recording and how it represented their time in Uniting Voices and Voice of Chicago.
You can stream the song on all major music platforms now!
Uniting Voices Chicago: What was it like to be featured as a soloist on this recording?
Ella Anello: I do think “Room For All” requires flexible soloists willing to take risks and try new and different things vocally, therefore I was and still am so grateful to have been pushed as a singer while learning and recording this solo! That being said, through the challenges of navigating the particular rhythm and style of the solo, there was always a motive expressed through the lyrics I was singing. The gospel style call and response to me is a symbol of the solo leading the group to be a part of something bigger. I'm truly honored that my feature as a soloist on this recording will be a time capsule of the high energy and unity felt within everyone when performing "Room For All."
Christian Hampton: It meant a lot to me to be a soloist on this song. It’s amazing to be able to represent our organization using my vocals on any song whether I’m a soloist or just a member of the ensemble. Nonetheless, “Room for All” has a special place in my heart, and it’s always so much fun to perform, so I can’t wait to hear my voice on the final recording.
UVC: Describe the theme of the song in your own words.
EA: In my eyes, the theme of “Room For All” is a celebration of everyone’s differences that paints a clear picture of what being stronger together looks like. The song has a unique aspect to it, as the lyrics are optimistic through positivity rather than reflective of negativity in order to move forward. This trait of the piece confidently relays the message that there is truly room for all.
CH: The song is a party. From the high tempo to the gospel-like chords, everything about the song is hype.
UVC: What does the song mean to you?
EA: "Room For All" means so much to me as it was born out of one of my favorite Uniting Voices projects, Rainbow Beach, which was extremely inspiring. We continued to sing it as Uniting Voices headed into a major turning point and it honestly became a joyous anthem for us. This song makes me think of the friendships, education, and most of all, life I've gained throughout my 4 years in Voice of Chicago.
CH: When I really sit and think about this song, it brings me back to the Rainbow Beach production where we went through the blatant racial inequality that existed in the 1960s before Timuel Black and the other members of the NAACP Youth Council put their lives on the line doing wade-ins at the beach. “Room for All” was the final song of this production, and while there were plenty of memorable songs in the musical, none of them made a statement like “Room for All.”
UVC: Anything else you’d like to mention?
EA: Just a huge thank you to W. Mitchell Owens, III, Ms. Lee, and Ms. Hanson for their guidance on this solo and just in general for their constant support. And a huge shout out to the very talented Christian Hampton, the other featured soloist and my good friend, who cheered me on take after take in the studio.
CH: “Room for All” was definitely my favorite solo that I’ve had in my four years in VOC simply because of the energy I feel from the choir, from the other soloist, Ella, and of course from the audience.