Friday, March 21, 2008

Frank Ward & Providence String Quartet Perform H. T. Burleigh's Spirituals On YouTube

[Frank Ward, Jr., Bass-baritone]

Following the recent post introducing Community MusicWorks and its community-oriented ensemble, the Providence String Quartet, AfriClassical received a message of appreciation, along with additional information, from Heath Marlow, Director of Development & Artistic Program Administrator:

Our mission is indeed to build and transform one of Providence's urban communities. We came to know H. T. Burleigh because the Providence String Quartet wanted to collaborate with bass-baritone Frank Ward, who happened to also be the parent of one of our teenage violin students. Frank has a great interest and passion for the songs and spirituals of African-American composers, including Howard Swanson, Margaret Bonds, Leslie Adams, H.T. Burleigh, Hall Johnson and Wendell Whalum.

You can view five arrangements of H.T. Burleigh songs performed by Frank and the Providence Quartet here:

You ask me if I love you? *

Elysium *

Deep River *

Wade in de Water *

Goin' Home *

*Arranged for quartet by another CMW friend, the incomparable Jeff Louie.

[Heath Marlow tells us that thanks go to CMW friend Justin Baker for the YouTube videos of the Providence String Quartet and bass-baritone Frank Ward performing their “Dvorak in America” program at Tufts University on February 2. The website of Frank Ward, Jr., Bass-baritone, is FrankWardJr.com]








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