| Nathaniel Dett Chorale’s Black History Month Tour |
| Wednesday, 17 February 2010 20:00 | |
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For more than a decade, Brainerd Blyden-Taylor and The Nathaniel Dett Chorale have played an integral role in the musical renaissance of the African Diaspora. The Nathaniel Dett Chorale has given voice to a kaleidoscope of musical offerings from spirituals, to gospels, to electrifying classical settings, all penned almost entirely by composers and poets of African descent. One year ago, as the United States inaugurated its first Black President, the Chorale proudly represented Canada with a moving performance at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C.. Now, as the Chorale embarks on its annual Black History Month tour, they join the world in reaching out to Haiti, as ambassadors of Pierspective Entraide Humanitaire, an indigenous registered charity founded by the esteemed Dr. Eric A. Pierre, Honorary Consul of Haiti.
Over the past year, Blyden-Taylor has been developing a Haitian musical celebration for the Chorale's 2010/2011 Concert Season. The program centres around the debut of a piece commissioned for the occasion by Haitian composer Sydney Guillaume. The yet untitled compostion will be based on the poetry of his father, noted Haitian poet Gabriel Guillaume; and will feature earlier father-son colloborations including "Mama Afrika" and "Kalinda", Sydney's first and much acclaimed choral work.
The exquisite 21-voice Nathaniel Dett Chorale celebrates Black History Month with a series of concerts that began on January 28th in Detroit, Michigan; with stops in Winnipeg, January 31st; Regina, February 2nd; Yorkton, February 3rd; the Epcor Centre in Calgary on February 5th; and Boise, Idaho on February 7th. The month of February culminates for the Chorale with a special hometown performance at the Glenn Gould Studio. The annual Glenn Gould Studio appearance, entitled Voices of the Diaspora...Gullah Voices takes place at 8PM on Wednesday, February 17th with a repeat performance on Saturday, February 20th, 2010. Special guest, singer, composer and historian, Melanie DeMore will be on hand for this evocative musical persentation which will invoke the rich tradition of the Gullah people of the Georgia Sea Islands.
A culture alive with elements of African languages and musical traditions, the story of the Gullah people is a triumphant one that began with the tragedy of enslavement. Little known outside the Southern United States, Gullah music and spirituals are said to have sustained and encouraged the enslaved peoples through the experience of communal music making. Denied a common language, the Gullah people had the ingenuity to communicate through rhythm, and then to develop a language from elements of African languages and Elizabethan English; isolated from the mainland, they were able to preserve much of their African heritage unchanged for generations. In this impassioned performance by The Nathaniel Dett Chorale, the African tradition of call and response will incorporate rhythmic stick pounding, foot stomping and body percussion to convey the essence of one of America's most irresistible forms of music.
"It is a privilege to bring to light the history of the Gullah people, both musical and social, and we will approach the music with the emotional respect it deserves." says chorister Karen Scovell.
Tickets for the Nathaniel Dett Chorale's Voices of the Diaspora... Gullah Voices at the Glenn Gould Studio are individually $39.50, and $35.00 Students/Seniors. Tickets are available in person at the Roy Thomson Hall box office, 60 Simcoe St., by calling 416.872.4255 or online at www.roythomson.com. For more information or full Black History Month tour details please visit www.nathanieldettchorale.org.
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