Wow!! So, I was a little worried that I (and more than a few other "Peemers") was a bit in denial about the fact that we REALLY were going to sing these Spirituals concerts from memory. Yikes! I had a lot of work to do, but after the experiences I just had singing those concerts, our hard work truly paid off! With the help of many cleverly designed "cheat sheets" to remind us of the song order and what note to start on for each song (the whole thing was a cappella, and we had only our trusty tuning forks to guide us!) we did it!! And I cannot imagine having done it any other way. Without being hindered by a black folder full of music, we were able to really connect with not only the music, but with our audiences. We started each concert by entering the concert hall, some of us hanging pieces of old worn cloth inscribed with sayings from historically significant African Americans, and some of us speaking their names. Then our special guests (the impressive Dr. Belva Davis on one night, and the dynamic Claressa Darden Morrow on another) began the concert's spoken narrative with an excerpt from the well known and much loved poem by Maya Angelou, "Still I Rise":
Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise
The songs were interspersed with narration, and all the while, images of the enslaved African American experience- sometimes beautiful, sometimes horrific- were projected behind us. Whew! The array of emotion running through the concert hall was palpable. And each concert offered a different vibe….the first concert on Sunday, December 3rd started as a celebration of the fact that we'd finally gotten most of the music under our belts, but that very quickly gave way to immense feelings of joy and sorrow, anticipation and longing, as we took our audience on a heart wrenching and ecstatic journey. Our reward? The beyond sold out crowd erupted with a thundering Standing Ovation!! There was nary a dry eye in the place, mine included.
The next concert was in San Francisco on Friday, December 8th. It was a blustery, rainy evening with next to no parking in the area. Yet, our almost capacity audience who had braved the elements, was greatly moved. At one point early in the program, one of our stage lights precariously perched atop a tall tripod came crashing down towards a few unsuspecting heads, only to be caught in time by some of our stalwart and fast acting concert-goers. Did that deter us or the audience? Not at all. We stopped mid-song, made sure everyone involved was okay, took down the light, and carried on all the more determined to sing the message we'd come to deliver.
Our third and last concert was, I think, my favorite of all. Sure, a standing ovation is great, and the drama of falling lights is exciting, but something about exposing young people to music that they may not have heard yet makes me warm and fuzzy inside. Our last concert was at the Oakland Museum on Sunday, December 10th, and was a part of the museum's "Family Explorations! Winter Festival". The whole museum was free for the day and many activities were offered throughout, including our concert. It was a chance for friends and families who might not usually attend one of our concerts to have the opportunity to do so. We presented a slightly shorter program, which was a good idea given the amount of fidgety kids in attendance! But I'll tell you, during each song, everyone, including the fidgeters, was transfixed, and at the end- another standing ovation!! Young and old alike expressed their thanks and appreciation for the concert, and I for one couldn't wipe the smile off of my face!
We in the Pacific Mozart Ensemble have many people to thank for this experience- the song arrangers who attended the concerts and responded with such high praise of our endeavor- Bill Bell and Jacqueline Hairston, and the ones who could not attend, or were with us in spirit- Moses Hogan, Andraé Crouch, H.T. Burleigh, Jester Hairston and Edwin O. Excell. They provided us with such a rich and diverse collection of songs- I was already quite familiar with many of the songs we did, but most of the arrangements were new to me. They were a thrill to learn and perform. We must also thank all the hard workers in our PME family who put the slide show together, set-up, tore down and moved the staging equipment to each venue, created the set design, worked the box office and ushered (you know who you are!!).
But mostly, we must thank our determined director, Ms. Lynne Morrow, who envisioned this project, carried it with her as she shaped and nurtured it, and then put it in our hands with all the trust in the world. Thank you Lynne for being our guide, and leading us to a place that we won't soon forget.
Alexis Lane Jensen
For more Pictures from the 3 shows, check out the Photo Album