On January 19, the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus had the great honor to participate in the 34th Annual Martin Luther King Celebration program at Kleinhan's Music Hall. Organized by Bessie Patterson and the Concerned Citizens Following the Dream, the event included the BPChorus, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Soprano Karen Saxon, and a large chorus of singers from around the Western New York area. On the first half of the program, nearly 300 people filled the stage under the baton of BPC Music Director Erin Freeman to sing, play, and serve Dr. King's dream. Music by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, George Frederick Handel, George Walker, Morton Gould and local composer Ella Robinson shared the program with a rousing rendition of Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing, a powerful Ain't He Good, Children (led by Bessie Patterson), and Richard Smallwood's Total Praise, with orchestra, flag ministry, and soloist Patricia Edwards. The second half of the program allowed local performing groups to celebrate individually. The BPChorus performed two a cappella numbers, Biebl's Ave Maria and Soon Ah Will Be Done, arranged by William Dawson.
MEDIA:
- BUFFALO NEWS - FRONT PAGE STORY
- WBFO FEATURE STORY
- ERIN FREEMAN AND BESSIE PATTERSON on WINGING IT TV
- WGRZ STORY - WITH MUSIC CLIP
REFLECTIONS:
As with any performance, part of the joy of performing was the rehearsal process leading up to concert. The BPC and the Martin Luther King Celebration chorus had the great pleasure of working together in three rehearsals. In these rehearsals, led by Erin Freeman and Bessie Patterson, we formed new friendships, we discovered new approaches to music, and we laughed - a lot! We "raised the roof" of Kleinhans Music Hall Sunday evening, in a thrilling and memorable musical tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr. To be one small voice among hundreds was truly awe inspiring. In barely two rehearsals, Erin Freeman brought 200+ singers and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra together to 'raise the roof' of Kleinhans Music Hall! Through our music, we praised God, honored a great American and made new friends. The BPC and BPO must continue in this tradition. | As we settled in and began to sing at our first rehearsal together, it was obvious that everyone who was participating was truly dedicated to making our performance a memorable one. The dedication and enthusiasm were palpable! We connected with each other on many levels, and began to know the hearts of our fellow participants. As I was waiting to meet my mother and my daughter in the lobby after the concert, one of the women I’d been fortunate enough to get to know approached me, touched my shoulder, and told me that she had stayed to hear the BP Chorus perform our two numbers. “You sounded wonderful, and you touched my heart”, she said. “I was hoping I would find you so that I could tell you that. Please let the others know. All of us have been so blessed by this experience!” What a beautiful tribute to all who participated! - BPC Alto Cindy Stone My favorite part of this weekend was the galvanizing effect of joining together with singers from several other groups to make a cohesive whole that was so much more than the sum of its parts. I loved experiencing the heartfelt praise and the good cheer among all of the singers. Because I love gospel singing so much, this was my favorite concert of the year! - BPC Alto and Board Member, Cathy Agnello |
CONGRATULATIONS!
As part of the celebration event, the Concerned Citizens Following the Dream handed out awards of service to several members of the community. Congratulations to Catherine Schweitzer, Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus's Immediate Past Board President and friend to all of Buffalo, for being selected as one of the recipients. |