BarnesandNoble.com: 'A Catalog of Music Written in Honor of Martin Luther King Jr.' by Anthony McDonald, 3rd Ed. Dec. 16

[A Catalog of Music Written in Honor of Martin Luther King Jr. by Anthony McDonald, 3rd Ed.]

Prof. Dominique-René de Lerma, http://www.CasaMusicaledeLerma.com, tells AfriClassical of A Catalog of Music Written in Honor of Martin Luther King Jr. by Anthony McDonald, whose Third Edition will be released Dec. 16, 2011:

“In anticipation of events in the coming weeks, those seeking appropriate repertoire should be interested in consulting the following publication. The author is Dr. Anthony McDonald (3085 Kenlawn Street, Columbus OH 43224. He has informed me that a third edition is in preparation. A catalog of music written in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.

BarnesandNoble.com

“Overview

McDonald organizes and makes available information on music appropriate for concerts performed by a symphony orchestra, school music department, church choir, or solo performer in celebration of Martin Luther King Day or Black History Month. His selections include not only music written specifically in honor of King but also about other Americans associated with the struggle for equality and freedom, such as Abraham Lincoln, Malcolm X, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, and John F. Kennedy. He also includes works dealing with African American history and culture, such as William Grant Still's Afro-American Symphony. The third edition includes a considerable number of revisions and updates, with many new works added. Additions include an entirely new section devoted to jazz and blues songs, an overview of Martin Luther King Day concerts with sample programs, and a discography, along with appendixes of works listed by orchestration, subject, and a list of publishers and sources.

“Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780810881983

Publisher: The Scarecrow Press, Inc.

Publication date: 12/16/2011

Pages: 256

Tami Lee Hughes on CD: 'classical, jazz, Latin, and religious styles that have influenced African American music'

[Tami Lee Hughes; Legacy: Violin Music of African American Composers; Albany Records TROY1293 (2011) Cover Art: “Initially Yours” by Alicia McDaniel, http://www.artisticheart.com/]

On Aug. 2, 2011 AfriClassical posted: “Albany Records Announces Release Of 'Legacy: Violin Music Of African-American Composers.'” At her website, Tami Lee Hughes describes her first recording in these words: “The compact disc features exciting works reflecting the classical, jazz, Latin, and religious styles that have influenced African American music from 1810 to the present.” We have now had a chance to hear the recording, which features Tami Lee Hughes on violin, and Ellen Bottorff accompanying her on piano. This is the second recording in a collaboration involving the Center for Black Music Research (CBMR) at Columbia College Chicago and Albany Records. The first CD includes works of Mary D. Watkins and Olly W. Wilson. It was released as Troy1200 in 2010.

The liner notes are written by Horace J. Maxile, Jr., Associate Director of Research at the CBMR. He writes of the first composer on the CD: “Francis Johnson (1792-1844) was a prolific performer, composer, and bandleader. A master violinist and keyed-bugle player, he enjoyed early success in Philadelphia leading an African-American band that performed at the city's most prestigious dances and social functions. Among his notable achievements are his band's performances in Europe in 1837, marking a first for any American band.” “Bingham's Cotillion (1820), is a charming, yet stately, dance. Demonstrative of the prestige and status of nineteenth-century intelligentsia who were its most likely consumers, the piece trots with a noble air.” The timing of the work is 1:53.

“George Morrison (1891-1974) hailed from the string band tradition. Though he played popular and dance music with string bands as a youth, Morrison had aspired to become a concert violinist. But, at that time, there were no opportunities for African-American violinists to achieve that goal in Denver, Colorado, where he grew up.” “Morrison's Five Violin Solos (1947) contain four arrangements of spirituals and one original piece.” The program on the reverse of the CD cover lists these titles:

Some Time I Feel Like A Motherless Child (5:42)

Every Time I Feel the Spirit (3:04)

Steal Away, Steal Away to Jesus (4:59)

Stand Still Jordan (4:57)

Lullaby (3:17)

The liner notes say of David Baker: “David N. Baker (b. 1931) is a noted jazz scholar, performer, and educator as well as a highly regarded composer. His compositional aesthetic demonstrates an allegiance to the African-American vernacular, combining disparate genres and styles ranging from work songs to concerti. Such combinations offer an expressive voice that is both historically aware and progressive. Baker is Distinguished Professor of Music and Chairman of the Jazz Department at Indiana University.” “Commissioned for violin virtuoso Ruggerio Ricci, Baker's Jazz Suite (1979) exhibits a modernist aesthetic with subtle underpinnings of African-American musical traditions.” The movements are:

Minton's (6:32)

Harlem, Saturday Night (4:16)

Perfume/Perspiration (8:59)

Jamaican Jam (3:46)

52nd Street (3:48)

“Composer and pianist Ozie C. Cargile II (b. 1981) is a graduate of the University of Michigan (BM, Music Composition).” “Maintaining a multi-faceted philosophy on music education and outreach, Cargile maintains a private piano studio and is founder of the Psalm 150 Symphony, a non-profit community orchestra whose aim is to revitalize the sound and image of symphonic music in the urban community. Recent premieres of his compositions include Epoch and The Audacity of Hope by the Lamont Symphony Orchestra in 2008.

“Mixed Feelings (2000) is a stirring and emotive work that blends a contemporary, jazz-like harmonic language with an expressive voice that is best described as neo-romantic. Rich harmonies (based on extended tertian and quartal constructs) and unexpected chord progressions entice the listener throughout.”

“Trombonist, keyboardist, and composer Chad “Sir Wick” Hughes (b. 1977) is a native of Detroit, Michigan. A student of William Bolcolm and James Aikman, he earned the bachelor's degree in music composition from the University of Michigan. His arrangements have been performed by a number of university ensembles at the University of Florida, Alcorn State University, and Bowkling Green State University. His interests in classical, jazz, gospel, and rhythm and blues genres are reflected in his debut album, Interpretation of a Universal Language.”

“Hughes composed S.L.I.C.E. (2009), Soulful Latin in a Classical Environment, as a commissioned work for this recording. Replete with rhythmic figures influenced by Afro-Cuban traditions, jazz harmonies, and contrapuntal episodes, this piece displays a compelling blend of vernacular emblems and European compositional techniques.”

For us the opening work of Francis Johnson, Bingham's Cotillion, starts the recording with a colonial feel which is quickly followed by the mostly spiritual music of George Morrison. We find David Baker's 5-movement Jazz Suite a logical prelude to the more contemporary and eclectic sounds in Ozie Cargile's Mixed Feelings, and in S.L.I.C.E. of Chad “Sir Wick” Hughes. Prof. Dominique-René de Lerma of http://www.CasaMusicaledeLerma.com has contributed biographical research on Francis B. Johnson, and a list of the composer's works, to AfriClassical.com. Disclosure: A review copy of this CD was provided by the record label.

Comment by email:
Dear Bill, Thank you for writing materials about my cd. I'm thrilled to see the information on AfriClassical.com and am glad to be a part of your wonderful work. I hope our paths cross in the future so can meet face to face. I admire your work and am grateful for your contributions to the African American classical community. Thank you again! Sincerely, Tami C. Lee Hughes, Concert Violinist

Livingstone College: 'Exploring The Legacy of African-American Music'; William Grant Still's 'From the Delta' & 'The Black Man Dances'

[FROM TOP: Ivory Brock, Angela Renee Simpson, Uzee Brown, Jr. and Judith Anne Still]

Salisbury Post

Salisbury, North Carolina

Livingstone offers concert series

Sunday, April 03, 2011

By Laurie D. Willis

Livingstone College News Service

Beginning Monday, a series of musical performances will be given in Varick Auditorium on the Livingstone College campus. The performances, including one by internationally known tenor Uzee Brown Jr., are part of the Livingstone College’s annual Spring Concert, which is being held at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. The theme of this year’s concert is “Exploring The Legacy of African-American Music.”

“This year we’re really focusing on the works of William Grant Still, who is widely considered the dean of African-American composers,” said Sidney C. Sessoms Jr., director of bands and assistant professor of music at Livingstone College. “We’re focusing on two of Mr. Still’s works, and his daughter has graciously agreed to be a part of our spring concert.” Sessoms said Still’s “From The Delta,” a concert band piece, will be performed as well as “The Black Man Dances,” a piano concerto that will feature John Robertson, an Atlanta pianist, and Salisbury Symphony members.

Judith Anne Still, president of William Grant Still Music Company based in Flagstaff, Az., will attend the spring concert and also conduct a workshop on her father at noon Thursday at Soldiers Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church, Sessoms said. The concert will feature Ivory Brock, who taught Sessoms when he was a student at Delaware State University and is an international clinician. Brock has worked closely with Dr. Quincy C. Hilliard and will conduct one of his works.

“It is my hope and desire that these events will educate Livingstone College students and the community on the many accomplishments of African-American and other minority composers,” Sessoms said. “So many times people like Florence Price, Ulysses S. Kay Jr. and William Grant Still go unrecognized for the great contributions they have made to music, particularly African-American music. I feel confident that after hearing just a sampling of their works people in the audience will have a deeper appreciation for them and perhaps even go out and purchase some of their music.”

The musical activities commence on Monday with a master class/concert given by world renowned opera singer Angela Renee Simpson. Simpson has performed extensively in Europe and was once referred to as “the grandest moment” in a New York Times review about her performance as Serena in “Porgy and Bess.” On Tuesday, the college is having a read-through session of the works of Hilliard, one of the foremost composers of band literature in the world. That session begins at 6 p.m. in Varick Auditorium, and area high schools have been invited to participate in it.

On Wednesday, a dress rehearsal will take place, but at 11 a.m. during the college’s weekly Family Assembly, there will be a round-table discussion featuring some of the artists, Sessoms said. All performances are free and open to the public. Sessoms said he is anticipating a crowd to rival or surpass attendance at Livingstone College’s 2010 Christmas Extravaganza.

“Salisbury residents, Rowan County residents and people in surrounding counties who enjoy good music won’t want to miss these events,” Sessoms said. “I am excited over the extraordinary talent lineup we’ve assembled to come to our campus, and I am thankful we are able to provide such stellar performers to the community free of charge.” [Florence Beatrice Smith Price (1887-1953), Ulysses S. Kay Jr. (1917-1995) and William Grant Still (1895-1978) are profiled at AfriClassical.com, where complete Works Lists by Prof. Dominique-René de Lerma are featured.]

'Extensions of the Tradition' at Indiana U. Feb. 20 Features organist Dr. Leo H. Davis Jr.

[Dr.Leo H. Davis Jr.]

BroadwayWorld.com

“Indiana University's African American Arts Institute, in collaboration with the IU Jacobs School of Music and the Archives of African American Music and Culture, will present the annual 'Extensions of the Tradition' concert on Sunday, Feb. 20, at 7 p.m. at Auer Hall, 200 S. Jordan Ave.”

“The program, which is free and open to the public, will cover organ works that span from the late 19th century to the late 20th century. It will portray a diverse array of compositions influenced by Protestant hymnody, plain chant, orchestral works, African-tribal tunes and a host of other sources. Specific pieces include:

'Git On Board,' by Evelyn Simpson-Curenton, performed by Marietta Simpson, professor of voice in the IU Jacobs School of Music, and the African American Choral Ensemble conducted by Keith McCutchen

'Proclamations!' (for organ, brass, timpani and chorus), by guest conductor Darin Atwater

'Go Down Moses,' by Fela Sowande

“The name 'Extensions of the Tradition' refers to artistic expressions which are linked to a long history of African American composers. These composers speak in several 'musical tongues' which exist, as W.E.B. Dubois has stated, ' . . . in a double consciousness' of European and African-derived artistic traditions.

“This year's concert will feature renowned organist Dr. Leo H. Davis Jr., who serves as head of the expansive music department at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Memphis, Tenn.” “Otis Murphy, associate professor of music in the Jacobs School, also will perform."

Pianist Reginald Robinson Plays 'Concerto for a Genius' at 'A Dream Unfolds: Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'

[Reginald R. Robinson, pianist]

AfriClassical has posted a description of the Chicago Sinfonietta concert "A Dream Unfolds: Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr." Today we focus on the contribution of a pianist who is often associated with Ragtime but also works in the classical genre, Reginald R. Robinson of Chicago:

ChicagoSinfonietta.org

“In this beloved concert tradition, guest conductor Leslie B. Dunner joins Maestro Freeman and the Sinfonietta in paying tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Through a set of five works and multiple guest artists, this celebration will commemorate King’s legacy and allow listeners to reflect on King’s indelible mark on American history. The program features the neoclassical overture from Theater Set for Orchestra by Ulysses Kay; Pulitzer Prize-winner George Walker's Lyric for Strings; and Concerto for a Genius, arranged by Orbert Davis, featuring McArthur Foundation Genius Grant recipient Reginald Robinson on piano. The second part of the program will be highlighted by George Gershwin’s folk opera Porgy and Bess, arranged by Robert Russell Bennett and Leslie B. Dunner, where the Sinfonietta will be joined by guest vocalists Lisa Daltrius, Chauncey Packer, Donnie Ray Albert and the Chicago Community Chorus led by Keith Hampton.”

ReginaldRRobinson.com

“In 2004 Reginald received a fellowship Grant from the John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation for his innovation in Ragtime music. Reginald released his fourth album Man Out of Time in 2006 and in the summer of 2007 he performed with Orbert Davis who arranged and conducted his Chicago Jazz Philharmonic Orchestra’s historical performance of "Concerto for a Genius" which consisted of four of Reginald’s original compositions from Reginald’s “Man Out of Time” album arranged for full orchestra.

In 2008 Reginald teamed with composer/arranger Kerwin Young who arranged two of Reginald’s original tunes for strings and flute. Reginald recently performed with Accessible Contemporary Music. A group led by pianist/composer/arranger Seth Boustead who scored three of Reginald’s original compositions for piano, strings and clarinet. Reginald's latest music project called "Reflections" is a three disc set which features audio and visual performances from Reginald of music that he composed over the last twenty years. Between recording, performing and composing, Reginald is at work on his most ambitious project, a documentary film about the history and development of ragtime music.”

A Dream Unfolds: Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Jan 15, 2011-Wentz Concert Hall -Naperville, IL

Jan-16, 2011-Dominican University -River Forest, IL

Jan-17, 2011-Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center -Chicago, IL

[Paul Freeman (b. 1936), Ulysses S. Kay (1917-1995) and George Walker (b. 1922) are profiled at AfriClassical.com]

Comment by email:
Hi Bill, Thank you for posting this upcoming performance and for notifying me about it. Best wishes, Reginald

George T. Walker, Jr. (b. 1922): First African American Pulitzer Prize Winner in Music

George T. Walker, Jr. maintains an extensive Website of his own, http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/1617/index.html The site is organized in several sections and articles come from more than a dozen sources. Dr. Dominique-René de Lerma, Professor of Music at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin, has been writing about African heritage in classical music for four decades. He has generously made his research entry on George Walker available to AfriClassical.com:

“His father was a physician who was born in Kingston, Jamaica and immigrated to the U.S. He graduated from Temple University Medical School in Philadelphia. Walker's mother was Rosa King, a native of Washington, D.C.”

George Theophilus Walker, Jr. was born in Washington, D.C. June 27, 1922. The boy was 5 when he began to study piano with his mother, according to the research entry. When Walker was 14 years old, he gave his first public performance on the piano at Howard University, his Website explains, and also graduated from Dunbar High School. Prof. De Lerma continues: “He studied music in the Junior Department of Music at Howard University.” “A scholarship enabled Walker to enroll in Oberlin college at age 15, in 1937. David Moyer was his piano professor, and Arthur Poister taught him organ. Walker was 18 when he received his B.M. Degree, leading his Conservatory class in honors, in 1941.” “At the Curtis Institute of Music, he studied piano with Rudolf Serkin and Mieczyslaw Horszowski, and chamber music with William Primrose and Gregor Piatigorsky.”

We learn from Walker' Website that he also studied composition at Curtis with Rosario Scalero. It adds: “He graduated from the Curtis Institute with Artist Diplomas in piano and composition in 1945, becoming the first black graduate of this renowned music school.” In the year of his graduation from Curtis, Walker won the Youth Auditions in Philadelphia, as Prof. De Lerma details:“ It was in 1945 that he won the Youth Auditions in Philadelphia. He made his recital debut at Town Hall in 1945 and orchestral debut as pianist in the third concerto of Rachmaninoff with the Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by Eugene Ormandy.” The young pianist then toured actively in the U.S. and Europe. Prof. De Lerma continues: “When in France he studied with Clifford Curzon and Robert Casadeus, and was one of the few private students of Nadia Boulanger at the American Academy, which he first attended in the Summer of 1947 as a student of piano.”

“He received the Doctor of Musical Arts Degree and the Artist Diploma in 1956 from the Eastman School of Music, which institution presented him with with the Alumnus Citation in 1961.” George Walker recounts the circumstances of his studies in Paris in 1957 and 1958: “I studied composition with Nadia Boulanger in Paris on a Fulbright Fellowship in 1957. I was again at the American Academy in Fontainebleau on a scholarship in 1958.”

The faculty positions held by George Walker are summarized by Prof. De Lerma: “His earlier teaching career included Dillard University, the Dalcroze School of Music, the New School for Social Research, Smith College, and the University of Colorado-Boulder. Subsequently he taught at the Peabody Conservatory of Music, the University of Delaware, and in 1969 joined the faculty of Rutgers University-Newark, where he was departmental chair and designated Distinguished Professor in 1976. Walker received a second Guggenheim Fellowship in the 1970s. He retired in 1992.

The research entry lists numerous fellowships, grants and awards. George Theophilus Walker, Jr. won the Pulitzer Prize for music in 1996. Prof. De Lerma notes the award in a survey article in Africana Encyclopedia: “In 1996, late in his long career, he became the first African American to win the Pulitzer Prize in music, for Lilacs, a piece for voice and orchestra.” Although George Walker was the first African American to win the Pulitzer Prize for music during his lifetime, Prof. De Lerma notes that it was posthumously awarded to Scott Joplin in 1976. In February 1987 Bruce Duffie had an extended interview with George T. Walker, Jr. which can be read at Duffie's Website, www.BruceDuffie.com/Walker.html

With the exception of two anthologies, Walker says, all of his music is currently published by MMB Music in St. Louis, Missouri. About 120 titles are listed at: http://www.mmbmusic.com/mmbquick/MMBResults.aspx?comp=1330

Shreveport Symphony Orchestra Premieres "King's Wonderful Dream" by Darrel Andrews

Saturday, January 19, 2008
Shreveport RiverView Theatre, 600 Clyde Fant Parkway, Shreveport. "King's Wonderful Dream" is a new orchestral work of Darrel Andrews, an African American composer. It will be performed by the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra accompanied by Walter Jackson narrating excerpts from the famous "I Have a Dream" speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Jan. 19, 7:30 p.m. The concert is free.

Darrel Andrews is a native of Lafayette, Louisiana. He earned a B.S. degree in Music Education at Southern University, started the band program at Carroll High School in Monroe, Louisiana, and remained there until retirement in 1979. Singer Ray Charles sponsored a recording session of seven of Andrews' tunes, and two tunes were recorded by Bobby "Blue" Bland. Later, Andrews received a Masters Degree in Music from VanderCook College of Music in Chicago. During his 28 years as Band Director he wrote many original compositions which were used for half-time shows. He also supplied music for a drama entitled "Attica 7" dealing with prison reform, which was presented on the campus of Northeast Louisiana University.

Andrews has written advertising jingles, and has been commissioned to write works for the Inter-City Row Modern Dance Company and the Marshall Symphony Orchestra. He belongs to the Piano Technicians Guild, Inc., and the Southern Songwriter's Guild, and is a Resident Artist in Music Composition with the Shreveport Regional Arts Council. His composition “King's Wonderful Dream” uses excerpts, with permission, from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s speech “I Have A Dream”. The work incorporates “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child", "Oh Freedom, Oh Freedom", "Battle Hymn of the Republic", and "Amazing Grace". Darrel Andrews is very pleased to have Walter Jackson, his former Band student, join him after 45 years, as Narrator for this presentation.

Thomas Wilkins Leads Philadelphia Orchestra in Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute Concert

Monday, January 21, 2008, 7:00 pm - FREE!
Martin Luther King High School
6100 Stenton Ave, Philadelphia, PA

THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA
THOMAS WILKINS conductor
CHARLOTTE BLAKE ALSTON speaker
PHILADELPHIA ALL-CITY CHOIR
Dorina Morrow director

The musicians of The Philadelphia Orchestra are graciously donating their services for this concert.

Celebrate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with this free community concert. Guest Conductor Thomas Wilkins leads the Orchestra, joined by the Philadelphia All-City Chorus. Combining the traditions of African-American culture and Western classical music, the concert pays tribute to Dr. King’s religious beliefs, his vision of a society free of prejudice and racial divisions, and his belief in the power of music to effect change.

Kaila Potts & Santa Monica Symphony: Martin Luther King Commemorative Concert

Description: In the annual concert to celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., violist and Sphinx Competition Laureate Kaila Potts, with the Santa Monica Symphony under Music Director & Conductor Allen Robert Gross, will present a program that includes: ’New Morning for the World-Daybreak of Freedom’ with eloquent passages from Martin Luther King’s speeches set against inspiring music composed by Joseph Schwantner. Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky will narrate. ~ Stamitz’ Viola Concerto featuring the young virtuosa Kaila Potts. ~ Neal Desby’s Spiritual played by the orchestra.

Date: January 20, 2008 Time: 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM; Doors open at 3:00 PM with no reserved seating. There is free parking at 1212 7th Street (just south of Wilshire) Location: SGI Auditorium Address: 525 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica. Region: North Beach Area Phone: (310) 395-6330 Admission: Free Kid Friendly: This Sunday afternoon free concert is a wonderful treat for families with school-age children.

Darin Atwater, Soulful Symphony & Baltimore Symphony: 22nd Annual Tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr.

As the country pays tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., join Soulful Symphony and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in remembering his life and legacy on Tuesday, January 15, 2008 at 8:00 p.m., at Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall

Building on three wildly successful seasons, Conductor and Artistic Director Darin Atwater will again lead the Soulful Symphony, a 75-piece African American orchestra and chorus, in the Annual Tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr. Loved by audiences, Soulful Symphony's engaging combination of classical music, jazz, gospel and soul is sure to uplift and inspire you.

Violinist Elena Urioste & Colorado Symphony Orchestra: Martin Luther King, Jr. Tribute

19^th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Tribute Concert
Scott O’Neil, conductor
Eleana Urioste, violin
The Fourteeners of the Rocky Mountain Children’s Choir
The Spirituals Project Choir

The Majestic Praise Choir from New Hope Baptist Church

Thursday Jan. 17· 7:00 p.m.

On Thursday, January 17^th, the Colorado Symphony Orchestra in partnership with the Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Awards Committee will present the 19^th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Tribute Concert honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The evening’s concert will include symphonic and choral music by African-American composers, and performances by: violinist Elena Urioste, the extraordinary 2007 first place Sphinx Competition winner, The Fourteeners of the Rocky Mountain Children’s Choir, The Spirituals Project Choir, and The Majestic Praise Choir from New Hope Baptist Church.

Myrtle Hart Society: Maestro Tipton in Atlanta and Cleveland

Myrtle Hart Society eNewsletter, January 2008:

Maestro Tipton in Atlanta and Cleveland

Continuing with my random facts, I came across a little bit about Maestro Chelsea Tipton II, who has conducted many orchestras around the world. You can read about all those accomplishments in his bio, but here's something you won't read: he also conducted (and really enjoyed conducting) the premier of The Machine & Symphonic Pink Floyd with the Detroit Symphony in July 2007. I love PF, so I found it especially refreshing that Maestro Tipton did too! You must respect a conductor who invites variety into his life.

Here's what he said:
"If you would pass this along to the guys in the Machine. What a gas it was to work with you guys. As a Classical musician it is great to dig in and make new musical discoveries. I had heard the music of Pink Floyd however this experience allowed me a chance to examine the music in depth and what great music. You all were good fun to work with, dedicated and the audience LOVED IT! The orchestra loved it. Best wishes to you all in the upcoming season. I look forward to our next encounter."
Peace to you all,
Chelsea, 2

You won't get Pink Floyd arrangements, but Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's 16^th annual Gospel Christmas "King Celebration" honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is not one to be missed! Maestro Tipton is joined by Andrew Young and the Morehouse/Spelman Glee Clubs. Program includes William Dawson's "Ain't That Good News." Thursday, January 17 at 8:00 PM, Woodruff Arts Center, 1280 Peachtree Street, N.E., Atlanta, GA 30309.

---

From ATL to CLE, Maestro Tipton is definitely racking up on the frequent flier miles. Catch him with the Cleveland Orchestra, Central State University Chorus and Martin Luther King Celebration Chorus on Sunday, January 20 at 7:00 PM, Severance Hall for Cleveland Orchestra's 28th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Concert. This event is free.

[African American Harpist Rashida Naomi Black is Founder/Executive Director of The Myrtle Hart Society, whose website is http://www.MyrtleHart.org]