| Spiritual News July 18, 2007 |
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| Staff | |
| Wednesday, 18 July 2007 | |
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Spirituals Heritage Day to be celebrated Sunday “Youth, Young Adults, and Elders Connecting with Songs of Our Enslaved Ancestors” is the theme of the Fourth Annual Negro Spirituals Heritage Day celebration,on Sunday, July 22, 3:30-5:30 p.m., at the West Oakland Senior Center, 1724 Adeline St., Oakland. Admission is free; donations are welcome. The event, this year co-presented by a host of social, cultural, business and religious organizations, was founded in June 2004 by Friends of Negro Spirituals, a Bay Area-based education and cultural-enrichment organization that preserves the Negro Spirituals heritage through educating the public. The program will feature the internationally acclaimed Ghanaian Master Drummer Pope Flyne performing a ceremonial African drum tribute to the scores of Ancestors, followed by the audience singing a greeting shout song, “How Do You Do, Everybody?” This spirited “Runnin’ Spiritual” was sung by Black slaves in the coastal regions of Georgia, Florida and South Carolina. The audience will sing other Spirituals as a community, led by gifted song leader Elouise Burrell. In a non-traditional awards ceremony, children’s book author and illustrator Ashley Bryan; Gospel and Spirituals preserver Dorothy Cook; baritone and composer Anthony Smith; and Soprano Havis Blanchard will be honored. Each will receive a Friends of Negro Spirituals’ Negro Spirituals Heritage Keepers award. Bryan is the first ever to have written and illustrated Negro Spirituals books for children, beginning in the 1970s; Cook is a well known, tireless Gospel and Spirituals preserver; Smith is a dedicated singer who has been preserving Spirituals locally and nationally; and Blanchard is a singer who has been singing Spirituals since she was a little girl. She has a history that includes singing Spirituals in schools and concerts and presenting Spirituals concerts. Closing the celebration, famed Bay-Area storyteller Diane Ferlatte will connect children and young adults with the Spirituals heritage through a creative ceremony. Join us in singing, learning about, and connecting with historic songs birthed by our enslaved ancestors. For more information, contact Sam Edwards, (510) 869-4359 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it The 2007 Negro Spirituals Heritage Day is funded, in part, by grants from The Clorox Company and Wells Fargo Foundations. A Gospel Extravaganza for Zimbabwe AIDS orphans Zimbabwe AIDS orphans will benefit from a Gospel Extravaganza to celebrate our commitment to save lives and win the war against AIDS. Featuring the Allen Temple Male Chorus, Center of Hope, Oakland Interfaith Choir Progeny and St. Benedict’s Choir, the concert is Friday, July 27, 7 p.m., at Allen Temple Baptist Church Family Life Center, 8501 International Blvd in Oakland. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door, $10 for ages 6-12 and free for children under the age of 6. For ticket information, see Sister Shirley Burton or Sister Susan Quinn or call (510) 544-7505. Sponsor is Priority Africa Network, P.O. Box 2528, Berkeley CA 94702, (510) 238-8080, ext. 309, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , www.priorityafrica.org. Our struggle is not over, and we will never give up HOPE! To learn more, visit www.allen-temple.org/aids.htm. |
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