Jeffery Ames' ‘Requiem for Colour’ Receives National Emmy Award

The recognition marks another milestone for the groundbreaking work composed and conducted by Ames, director of choral activities in Belmont's School of Music. Earlier this year, the production received three MidSouth Emmy Awards for entertainment, musical composition and audio recording, mixing and design. 

The national award recognizes the collaborative effort behind the televised production, including Ames, producer and director Nic Dugger and Dr. Doyuen Ko, professor of audio engineering technology in Belmont's Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business, who led the audio recording and production efforts for the Nashville PBS broadcast. 

Accepting the award, Ames reflected on the significance of the recognition and thanked the collaborators who helped bring the project to life. "First, giving honor to God, who without Him this would not be possible," Ames said. "I'm grateful for this opportunity. God be glorified." 

A wholly original orchestral and choral masterwork, “Requiem for Colour” combines music, literature and visual art to explore and honor the experiences of generations of Black people and their descendants. Rooted in Negro spirituals and structured around the Requiem Mass, the work traces 400 years of history, moving from West African culture through the Atlantic crossing, slavery, the Great Migration and the civil rights movement while blending classical forms with spirituals, jazz, gospel and hip-hop.  

The televised performance aired on Nashville PBS following its premiere at Belmont's Fisher Center for the Performing Arts in February 2025. The production featured a powerhouse orchestra of Belmont students and professional musicians, a chorus of nearly 200 singers from Belmont University and Tennessee State University, soloists, dancers and spoken-word artists. 

Ko and a team of Belmont audio engineering technology students played a critical role in bringing the project to broadcast audiences. Students contributing to the recording effort included Caitlin Bost, Jonathan Osha, Benjamin Harmeyer, Alex Schafer, Caleb Dillender, Cole Davin, Sydney Vaught, Holt Stairs, Rashod Addison, Chris Bienvenu and Nathaniel Buzzutto. 

Supported by Belmont's Creative Arts Collective for Christian Life & Faith, “Requiem for Colour” has continued to expand its reach beyond Nashville. In summer 2025, Ames conducted the work in London with Vox Anima, introducing international audiences to the project's powerful message of remembrance, lament and hope. 

With Emmy recognition at both the regional and national levels, “Requiem for Colour” stands as a testament to the artistic excellence, interdisciplinary collaboration and student-faculty partnership that brought Ames' decade-long vision to life.