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Contact:
Public Relations Director
The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra
Phone: 407/896-6700 x 223
Fax: 407/896-5512
gmiller@orlandophil.org
www.orlandophil.org |
(Orlando, FL – March 7, 2007) – The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra proudly collaborates with the “Negro Spiritual” Scholarship Foundation to present the ninth concert in its 2006-2007 Phil at Carr Series, An Evening of Spirituals, presented on Saturday, April 7, 2007. Two performances are held; one at 2:00 PM and one at 8:00 PM. The concert takes place at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre, 401 W. Livingston Street, Orlando. The concert is sponsored by Siemens Power Generation, Inc. The Orlando Sentinel is the Title Sponsor for the Phil at Carr Series.
Led by the “Negro Spiritual” Scholarship Foundation, Orlando has become one of the most important centers for the preservation and performance of Negro spirituals in America today. Rudolph C. Cleare, Founder and Executive Vice-President of the “Negro Spiritual” Scholarship Foundation writes in his notes for the program:
“These songs express - both in their words and in the way they are performed musically - the deep religious feelings of the African-American people. They are an important part of the American cultural heritage, and are now recognized globally as anthems to liberty that can feed the deepest aspirations of the human soul.”
On the program is a selection of Negro Spirituals, both popular and little known. Included are He’s Got the Whole World in His Hand, Honor! Honor!, Let The Heaven Light Shine On Me, Who Built The Ark?, You And I Can Tell The World, Rockin’ Jerusalem, Every Time I Feel The Spirit, I Got A Robe and many more.
Joining Maestro Christopher Wilkins and the Orlando Philharmonic in this celebration of spirituals are many impressive talents from the Central Florida community and throughout the United States.
Included is international opera and concert singer Curtis Rayam, Jr., who has performed in many capital cities of the world, including The Metropolitan Opera Co, New York City, N.Y., The Paris Opera, La Fenice Opera, Venezia (Venice), Italy, La Scala Opera, Milano (Milan), Italy, The Orlando Opera Company, and The National Symphony Of Washington, D.C. Also lending their voices to this program are soprano Kelly Griffin, mezzo-soprano Lori Brown Mirabal, and bass Kern Cox.
Audiences will be sure to enjoy the Jones High School Concert Choir, Darlean Coleman, Director, and the Bethune-Cookman University Chorale, Dr. Rebecca Steele, Director, both renowned for their outstanding musicianship throughout the state.
“Clearly, what gives Negro spiritual songs their power is the way in which they invite the human voice to add contour, rhythm, texture, melody, tempo, variation, and emotional depth to words,” says Cleare in his program notes.
Also performing with the Philharmonic is Jacqueilne Hairston, a pianist, composer and arranger, whose works have been recorded by the London Symphony and the Columbia Symphony Orchestras and have been performed by the San Francisco Women's Philharmonic, Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir, Kathleen Battle (with the Collegiate Chorale and Pro Arte Chorale at Carnegie Hall), Metropolitan Opera mezzo soprano Denyce Graves and the Orlando Opera Chorus and Orchestra and many other singers worldwide.
We hope that you will join us for this powerful program celebrating the Negro spiritual. Tickets are on sale for $13 - $60. To purchase tickets, phone the Philharmonic’s box office at 407-770-0071 or visit www.OrlandoPhil.org.
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