Sunday, February 19, 2012

'Ellington: A Sacred Concert, Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra & Morgan State University Choir' 4 PM Feb. 19


[The Definitive Duke Ellington; Sony 61444 (2000)]

Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington (1899-1974) is featured at AfriClassical.com as a composer of both jazz and classical music. Paragraph 9 of the Ellington page says:
Ellington began exploring spiritual themes with his Concert of Sacred Music in 1965. Africana Encyclopedia says of the work: 'In the Beginning, God, Ellington's opening movement, won a 1966 Grammy Award for best original jazz composition. In 1968 Ellington composed a Second Sacred Concert. At the time of his death he was preparing a third.' Barbara Wright-Pryor was choral director for the November 1968 performance of Ellington's Sacred Concert at Chicago's Auditorium Theater.”


On Feb. 15, 2012 AfriClassical posted news of today's concert:
Sunday, February 19, 2012 4:00 PM – Choir sings with the Smithsonian Orchestra – Music of Duke Ellington at Strathmore Hall in Rockville, MD

Dr. Eric Conway, Director of the Morgan State University Choir, provides additional details of the event:
Sunday, February 19, 2012, the Morgan State University choir will perform Duke Ellington's Sacred Concerts with the Smithsonian Jazz Orchestra. The concert is 4PM at the Music Center at Strathmore Hall, in North Bethesda, MD.” “This is Duke Ellington at his finest with a big band sound, but with all sacred music. This is part of a week-long Ellington festival.”
Best,
Eric

Eric Conway, D.M.A.
Fine and Performing Arts Department, Chairperson
Morgan State University

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