4 posts tagged “boston pops gospel night”
...THIS IS CALLED "THE SHOW"
Boston Pops Gospel Night was fantastic! The audience was full to the brim. The music was beautiful. Pastor Marvin Winans was a stone nut! Down-to-Earth and really personable. He and/or the Winans family wrote four of the eight songs we sang, so when he came to dress rehearsal, he gave direction to the Maestro Charles Floyd and to us choir members. This was also Pastor's first time hearing his songs arranged with a full orchestra. His face lit up several times during the dress and the concert.
Josiah is Pastor's son who stole my rap solo. Youth singers from Detroit, DeShonda Rideout and Diamond Tigney sang two solos. Our Boston soloists were Jerome Kyles; first time soloist, Sayida Rivers Farmer; and youth soloist, Oladunni Oladipo. Oladunni is about six years old and she was not afraid of the audience one bit. She sang beautifully and almost looked surprised when we all clapped and cried for her. I tell you their names now, so when you see them in concert somewhere, you'll recognize them, LOL.
AMAZING GRACE
I already told you how I feel about performing, the soaring happy feeling I get. Add music about God and raise that to 300%. Im no Bible Thumper, but Ive had miracle after miracle over the past few weeks, where it only could have been God, because my own personal resources were completely depleted.
((moment of silence))
ENCORE! DO YOU WANT MORE?
After the concert proper, we have an Encore. This year our Encore was "Go Tell It On the Mountain," sang first in Spiritual style, with Oladunni on the solo; then Gospel style with two choir members singing the solo. After the Encore, as the Maestro and the Pops Orchestra leave the stage, our regular choir director, Dennis Slaughter, usually leads the choir and rhythm section (Gospel Artists from Berklee School of Music), in a Post Encore. Well, three of the Pops Orchestra (who'd never played Gospel Night before) didnt know there was a Post Encore. Two from the wind section stayed behind, cleaned their instruments, and had a little chat. By the time they realized we were singing again, it was too late to leave the stage! They looked back as us singers in awe and then just started clapping.
Our Post Encore was "Ill Take You There" by the Staples. We had three youth singers from Boston singing the lead, and in addition to our rhythm section we had an additional tamborine section. All from the Alto section, thank you very much (Altos Stand Up!!!) the tamborine rhythm section included our first male Alto, Maru Colbert. He broke it down like its never been broke, with turns, high kicks, tamborine under the leg and other acrobatics. The other rhythm section members all had a solo: Jerome Kyles - Piano, Dennis Montgomery, III - Organ, Sean Skeete - Drums, and Lenny Stallworth - Bass Guitar.
We "ended" the song proper. Then did a reprise and took it up-tempo to that ol' Gospel, Holy Ghost style. For those who dont know, it sounds like the beginning of the Wonder Woman TV Show Theme Song, or the Church Lady (Dana Carvey) character's dance music on Saturday Night Live. The crowd LOST it! One white dude from the cello section of the Pops, who also got caught on stage, couldnt help himself. He found the chord and started playing with us! It was so much fun! Stage door left opened, and we danced on out!
YOUVE/ GOT TO BE SEEN/ IN GREEN!
The reception in Higgenson Hall was good, as always. We got to bask in the glow (or the sweat) and feel the love from the audience. Maestro, Pastor and Brother Dennis Slaughter said a few words and we went back to taking pictures and rubbing elbows. My old boss, Senator Wilkerson was there... at a Gospel Concert?!?!! Surprised a lighting bolt didnt come in between the French Horns and strike her down! It was fun to meet all the friends, family, co-workers, church members and fans.
I saw Maestro Floyd who hugged me and told me something like, "We almost had to bring you in to do that rap solo. We werent sure who would do it until the very end." I told him, "Well Im from the Bronx, so I can rap!" To which he replied, " Look, I dont want to get in between the Bronx people and the Detroit people!" :-P
But the best part of the reception, was when I met my cousin. Her father and my grandfather are first cousins. She and her branch of the family were born and raised in Boston and we've never laid eyes on eachother until last night! She brought her sister with her, so I actually met two "new" cousins. I took pics all night, drank, ate and made merry. Then, after a drunken call to my half-sleep mother, at eleven thirty, I left back to my neighborhood to Boston Beer Works for sweet potato fries and a tumbling blueberry beer. My feet are still recovering.
HOLD ON! A CHANGE IS COMING!
My pictures will be on My Space as soon as I pay the ransom for the Photo CD at Brooks Pharmacy. It was a wonderful glorious night! Im gonna go rest my feet. Singing a Gospel concert is like taking a ninety minute aerobics class in heels, panty hose and a girdle! You know you did good work, but you need to take a stretch afterwards!!! Ill let yall know when the pictures come out!
AuRevoir!
God is Great, God is Good...
Gratuitous Father's Day Pics
Amendment to the State Constitution Which Would Ban Gay Marriage: Will not be on the 2008 Ballot, Thank God! Now, I already told yall, that I am pro-marriage. Grown people should be able to make a family with whoever will have them, and those families should have the same legal protection that Ozzie and Harriet had. But more important to my life (cause men arent lining up to go down the aisle with me, right this minute) is that the Constitution SHOULD NEVER BE PUT TO A POPULAR VOTE! Changes in the law should be researched, studied, discussed in public hearings and then voted on BY THE LEGISLATURE. A knee jerk popular vote is what happened in Michigan, a state which now has no affirmative action in State jobs or State schools. And you see what happened to UC...
If you let the public, especially Massachusetts public, vote on the Constitution, it would change every week... and soon the Prohibition, Anti-Miscegenation Laws and Slavery would be back on the books. Id have to move to South Africa to have any rights!
My Concert: Will be broadcast live on Boston's WCRB 99.5 FM, The Classical Station. It seems that the station airs the Boston Pops every Saturday. Since our concert is on Saturday this year (we are usually on Sunday), we will be on WCRB. I bet this is the very first time theyve had any gospel music on that station. They have a website: www.wcrb.com . Now Im not sure the concert will be on line, but if you are near a computer on Saturday Night 8pm, you can try to listen to it.
My Trip to Housing Court: Was successful. And Ill leave it at that.
My Groceries: Tonight instead of my usual Garelick Farms Orange Juice and Henny, I tried Langer's Frozen Orange Juice with my Henny. Langer's is the frozen juice that comes in a little plastic bottle. I just couldnt carry that big bottle of Garelick Farms home tonight, my back hurts. So I tried it for the first time. It actually tastes good, just unscrew the top add three little bottles of cold water and chill... and it was much easier to get home! So now I will drink Garelick's fresh and Langers frozen. Sometimes its good to try something new!
Sold One of My Baby Blankets: the other day to a co-worker for another co-workers upcoming baby shower. The expectant Mom is one of the Russian scientists, and she looks unhappy all the time. I thought she was uncomfortable because she is in the last stages of her pregnancy. Then I saw the five year old pic she submitted to the Fifth Anniversary collage... she looked unhappy at five too. Well that was my first sale. My sister commissioned one for her friend so I will work on that one next. Also, I will be giving a freebee to my choir member who no one knew was expecting. She is a big girl like me and she always wears loose clothes so we didnt notice... until we saw her walk... and she was waddling. She told me she is seven and half weeks! Her face and arms are the same size. One of my Bestest AMW is due at the end of July, her shower is next Saturday, so I will miss it for my family reunion. God Bless all the pregnant ladies. Maybe one day that will be me.... Or maybe, Ill adopt...
...Bon Nuit Mes Enfants
Did I tell yall that I love to sing, love to perform on stage? That after a performance, whether its the First Night Concert or Karioke, I have to actually 'come down?' That there is an actual Singers High? That I dont understand why performers get high on drugs... especially the professional performers. I mean you get to be on stage and then THEY PAY YOU?!?!? I wouldnt need any Henny! Well maybe a little during PMS, but not as much.
Like I told you guys before, Im in practice for BostonPopsGospelNight and the first round of solo try-outs were tonight, so I tried out for the gospel rap solo (!?!?!?)
It was so much fun! But Im glad its over! But it felt great! But I was so stressed out! Yay!
Okay so, at home, I was on the Chancel Choir at Abyssinian Baptist Church. The Sanctuary seats 3000 every Sunday. Im nearsighted, so all I would see every Sunday were church hats and a couple afros. But when I sing in front of a small group, I freeze up. I can see everyones eyes, nosehairs and facial expressions... I dont do well at auditions.
Now imagine me, auditioning for a rap solo in front of fifteen people in folding chairs less than three feet away, easily half are white (The Pops Gospel Night Choir is Multi-Cultural) and rest are over fifty and/or dont listen to rap music. Well I got them to clap for me... on time. The audience at the Boston Pops should be NO PROBLEM... if I get the solo
Cross your fingers and toes for me...
