Still Waters Youth Sinfo-Nia of Metropolitan Atlanta, Inc. Summer Camp Announcement 2013

David E. Robinson III:

The Still Waters Youth Sinfo-Nia of Metropolitan Atlanta will be holding its 24th annual two-week Summer Academy July 8-19, 2013 in a downtown Atlanta location (to be announced shortly). The hours are from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM (very convenient for parents who work during those hours; drop-off as early as 7:30 AM and pick-up as late as 6:00 PM). Sinfo-Nia is looking for string students (violin, viola, cello, and doublle bass) on all levels: beginning, intermediate, and advanced; woodwinds, brass, and percussion - advanced level only. Ashanti Floyd, also known as "The Mad Violinist" is scheduled to give a workshop during that time like he did last year. Sinfo-Nia performed with him this spring in a music video called, "Battle Field," which is on YouTube.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NH3NZdxkEsM

 

Sinfo-Nia was founded in 1990 as the William Grant Still Memorial Youth Orchestra by its conductor, David E. Robinson III. For more information, please call (404) 328-0840 or send an e-mail to stillwaters690@gmail.com. The website is under construction at the moment.

The Urban Strings Youth Orchestra of Columbus, OH will be holding its Second Annual Summer Camp June 10-14, 2013 at the King Arts Complex located at 867 Mount Vernon Ave., Columbus, OH 43203. It will be conducted by David E. Robinson, III from Atlanta, GA.. For more information, please call Mrs. Catherine Willis at (614) 888-9929. By the way, Urban Strings is looking for a conductor for the upcoming school-year 2013-14.

 

Both of these youth orchestras will be sending students to the annual National Association of Negro Musicians (NANM) Convention, which will be held July 28-August 1, 2013 at the Inn at Opry Land - A Gaylord Hotel located at 2401 Music Valley Drive, Nashville, TN 37214. For more information, please log onto www.nanm.org. These students will be performing in the D. Jerlene Harding Memorial/NANM Youth Orchestra directed by David E. Robinson III. Orchestra instructors (and band) and private instructors everywhere are encouraged to send students to this convention for this exciting experience.

Sincerely,

David E. Robinson, III

Founder and Artistic Director

Still Waters Youth Sinfo-Nia of Metropolitan Atlanta, Inc.

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Violinist Kelly Hall-Tompkins in Solo and Ensemble Performances in Summer 2013

Mark O'Connor, Gillian Gallagher, Kelly Hall-Tompkins, Patrice Jackson

Kelly Hall-Tompkins
Summer 2013

 

June 9-12 Ritz Chamber Players Season Finale

Jacksonville, Florida

 

June 13 O'Connor Quartet Featured Artists in Lincoln Center's Great Performers Circle Event

New York City

(Private Event)

 

June 23-28  O'Connor Quartet performs and teaches at O'Connor String Camp

Berklee College of Music

Boston, MA

 

June 29 - July 7 Teaching and Masterclass at Interlochen Arts Academy

Interlochen, MI

 

July 7-July 28 Chamber Music South Dakota

Rapid City and the Black Hills Region

 

July 29- August 12 Tchaikovsky Quartet at the Lake Tahoe Summerfest

Nevada/California

 

August 14-17 Beethoven Triple Concerto at The Gateways Music Festival

Rochester, NY

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May 26, 2013 is 50th Anniversary of 1963 Wrigley Field Civil Rights Rally of 35,000 Led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

May 26, 1963 at Wrigley Field

John Malveauxofwww.MusicUNTOLD.comwrites:

May 26, 2013 is the 50th Anniversary of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Civil Rights rally with 35,000  at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles. A classical and opera concert tribute to the 50th Anniversary of MARCH on WASHINGTON and Dr. King's I HAVE A DREAM speech titled 50th Anniversary 'SYMPHONY of BROTHEROOD' Concert scheduled August 18, 2013 will include references to Dr. King's historical footprint in Los Angeles. See www.musicuntold.com  

 

John Malveaux

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Baltimore Sun: 'Great Day': New life for old music of black churches

Marco K. Merrick

The following article in The Baltimore Sun is enhanced by the expertise of our friend Dr. Eric Conway, Director of the Morgan State University Choir:

The Baltimore Sun

Community Concert Choir revives neglected spirituals, anthems

By Tim Smith, The Baltimore Sun

6:17 PM EDT, May 24, 2013

As afternoon light tried to filter through the thick, stained-glass windows of Sharp Street United Methodist Church last weekend, Marco K. Merrick pounded out the bass line of a spiritual on a raw-sounding piano, singing along in a raspy voice: "Great day, the righteous marching. Great day, God's going to build up Zion's walls." From the tightly packed pews in front of him, basses and baritones of the Community Concert Choir of Baltimore picked up the vocal line tentatively at first, but gained in confidence with each measure.

That passage settled, Merrick started over, this time bringing the rest of the chorus — more than 130 strong — into the march-tempo music. He rarely called out instructions now, speaking with his hands instead. With one slowly out-stretched gesture, he generated a terrific crescendo from the ensemble. "That is delicious sounding," Merrick shouted.

For two break-less hours, the choir continued to rehearse for its annual spring concert, which takes place Sunday afternoon. This one commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, but, in effect, all of the group's performances honor African-American history. The Community Concert Choir, which the Baltimore-born Merrick founded in 2010, specializes in what he considers to be neglected music, the traditional spirituals, hymns, anthems and gospel songs of African-American churches.

"In our culture, as with many cultures, the story is not being told," Merrick, 50, said. "It's not being shared with the new generation. In many black churches today, it's all about current, current. There are ministers saying they only want to do new stuff to get young people to come to church. Some churches don't even have hymnals anymore."

The program for the choir's spring concert includes several selections from those old hymn books, such as "Lift Up Your Heads," "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross," and "Holy Art Thou," an anthem based on a well-known aria from an 18th-century opera by Handel.

Music by classical composers is also part of the choir's songbook, including excerpts from Haydn's oratorio "The Creation." Sunday's program features the "Inflammatus" from Rossini's "Stabat Mater,"a piece that was in the repertoire of the great soprano Leontyne Price (one of Merrick's musical heroes).

Gospel music, which became a pronounced part of worship service in black churches during the 20^th century, has a place as well in the Community Concert Choir's programs. But, in this case, it's vintage. "We sing the classic gospel of Thomas Dorsey and those who followed him," Merrick said, referring to black gospel artists who emerged in the 1920s and '30s and continued to influence the genre for several decades. "It's very old-school, and some people today don't even know it."

Contemporary gospel style places the emphasis on the contemporary. "Hip-hop has changed gospel music in a great way," said Eric Conway, director of the famed Morgan State University Choir. Early black churches in this country adopted much of the music of white churches, and sang many hymns in common for generations. But one genre emerged solely from the African-American culture

— spirituals, with their deep roots in slavery.

In addition to "Great Day," the Community Concert Choir program will include such standards as "His Name So Sweet," "I'm on My Way to Freedom Land" and "Ride the Chariot." "In the African-American churches today, anthems and spirituals are often not performed the way they once were," Conway said. "There is a generation of older folk who remember singing these songs when they were young. They're very nostalgic for them. I applaud Marco for creating this choir so

they can sing this music again."

Janet Frazier West, an alto and charter member of the ensemble, exemplifies Conway's point. "I love singing the old hymns people haven't heard for years. It's very emotional for me," said West, 64. "I grew up in a church whey they sang all of this music."

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Empire Opera and Prosperity Art Project Hold 'Music and Cocktails Fundraiser' Hosted by Karine Plantadit at 'La Maison d'Art' 6:30 PM May 31, 2013

   Music and Cocktails Fundraiser

Music and Cocktails Fundraiser

Hosted by Tony Award Nominee

Karine Plantadit

 

Join us as Empire teams up with Prosperity-Art Project to present an evening of cocktails and music held at the chic French guest house/art gallery in Harlem, La Maison d'Art.  This fundraiser event will raise money for the Summer Nights concert series taking place in July 2013.

Karine Plantadit is a Tony Award- nominated dancer and actress. She was a soloist with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for 7 years and has since appeared in numerous Broadway shows including the original  Lion King and Movin’ Out.  Recently she has starred in Twyla Tharpe’s Come Fly Away and the one-woman show La Voix.  Her television and movie appearances include So You Think You Can Dance (2010), The 82nd Academy Awards (2010), Frida, and Sex and the City.  Karine is based in New York City.

Karine is also the director of Nail Your Auditions, a coaching program enabling actors and dancers to demystify the audition process and learn practical tools to garner more success in the highly competitive arenas of stage and film.

Friday, May 31st
Cocktails at 6:30pm
Music and Presentation at 7:30pm
La Maison d'Art
259 W. 132nd St.
New York, NY 10027                        

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BlackPast.org: Carol Brice (1918-1985) 'became one of the first African American classical singers with an extensive recording repertoire.'

Carol Brice (1918-1985)

Hazel Singer tells us of the career of Carol Brice (1918-1985), who is profiled at BlackPast.org: 

Contralto singer Carol Brice was born in Sedalia, North Carolina on April 16, 1918 into a musical family.  Eventually she became one of the first African American classical singers with an extensive recording repertoire.  Brice trained at Palmer Memorial Institute in Sedalia and then enrolled in Talladega College in Alabama, where she received her Bachelor of Music degree in 1939. She later attended Julliard School of Music between 1939 and 1943 where she trained with Francis Rogers. In 1943 Brice became the first African American musician to win the prestigious Walter W. Naumburg Foundation Award.

Carol Brice first attracted public acclaim at the New York World’s Fair in 1939 when she performed in the opera, “The Hot Mikado.”  Her next major public performance came in 1941, when she sang at a Washington concert honoring the third inauguration of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Her brother, the pianist Jonathan Brice, was frequently her accompanist at concerts and competitions.  

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Thomas "Blind Tom" Wiggins Born May 25, 1849; 'The Ballad of Blind Tom' is on Elton John's album 'The Diving Board' due out in September 2013

[The Ballad of Blind Tom, Slave Pianist: America's Lost Musical Genius; Deirdre O’Connell; Overlook Press (2009)]

Elton and drummer Jay Bellerose on stage at

Capitol Records Studio A – April 11, 2013.

(Photo: Joseph Guay)

Deirdre O'Connell answered our inquiry about news of the pianist and composer Thomas "Blind Tom" Wiggins (1849-1908) for our birthday post for May 25:

Hi Bill,

Yes by chance some most interesting news. Elton John's new album The Diving Board is due for release in Sept 2013. It includes a 7 minute piece entitled The Ballad of Blind Tom, a tribute to Blind Tom Wiggins!!!

More details here.

Also Stephanie Jensen-Moulton's article for American Music Review is not particularly new (2011), but it offers some good insights.

http://depthome.brooklyn.cuny.edu/isam/publications/AMR/2011_Spring/article2.html

Regards,

Deirdre

Elton John

The next song was Ballad Of Blind Tom, also about an actual person; in this case "Blind Tom" Wiggins: a 19th-century slave whose being an autistic savant and piano prodigy took him off the plantation and made him one of the most popular performers of his time in America. The lyric here shifts from third person in the verses ("His black hands resting on the keys / Hoppin’ like a big old frog / And hissin’ like a train...") to first person in the chorus ("Play me anything you like / I'll play it back to you…") as Motown legend Jack Ashford locks the rhythm down on tambourine. 

Thomas“Blind Tom” Wiggins (1849-1908) was an African American pianist and composer. He was a blind and autistic slave who nevertheless was a musical genius. He is profiled at AfriClassical.com, which features a complete Works List by Prof. Dominique-René de Lerma, http://www.CasaMusicaledeLerma.com

Since 2009, interest in the life and music of Thomas Wiggins has been increased due to the work of Deirdre O'Connell, an Australian writer whose highly readable biography is The Ballad of Blind Tom, Slave Pianist: America's Lost Musical Genius.  The book's website is: http://www.blindtom.org/ Performances of piano works composed by Wiggins have become more numerous in recent years.

His profile at AfriClassical.com is based primarily on the book Blind Tom, The Black Pianist-Composer: Continually Enslaved, by the late Professor Geneva Handy Southall, who devoted her academic career to Wiggins. She points out that he never really gained his freedom or the control of his own earnings, even after the Civil War. 

Comments by email:

Dear Bill,  The late Geneva (Handy) Rhone Southall, professor at the University of Minnesota, published her extensive research on Thomas "Blind Tom" Wiggins that newer researchers may access at The Center for Black Music Research at Columbia College Chicago. Dr. Southall and Dr. Dominique-Rene de Lerma paved the way.  Musically yours, Barbara (Wright-Pryor

Not long before her retirement, Geneva called me with reference to [John Davis'] recording of Blind Tom's music.  He gave her next to no credit at all.  She was not bitter, and confessed he played the works well (dear Geneva was not a major piano talent).  Shame on anyone, however, who does not pay Geneva her due: she is the Blind Tom expert (three volumes) and source for probably anything anyone has to say about him.  Dominique-René de Lerma

http://www.CasaMusicaledeLerma.com

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