200 + Voice Mystic Chorale Kicks Off 20th Anniversary Concert Season

PRLog (Press Release) - Nov. 5, 2009 - http://www.sueauclairpromotions.com/Sue_Auclair_Promotions/Mystic_Chorale_In_Concert.html

BOSTON, MA--Two-hundred voices strong, Greater Boston’s Mystic Chorale will pack a whallop of a choral sound into Converse Hall at Tremont Temple [88 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02108] on Saturday, November 21 at 8:00 pm and again on Sunday, November 22 at 3:30 pm when Choral Director Nick Page and Special Guest Dr, Ysaye Maria Barnwell take the stage to lead a program entitled “Inspiration.”  Tickets at $15.00 and $10.00 for seniors and students are on sale in advance now at http://www.mysticchorale.org; tickets may also be available at the door, day of show.   For more information, call:  781-316-2500.  Converse Hall is wheelchair accessible and is located one block from the Park Street T station, next to the Omni Parker Hotel.

Mystic Chorale is a non-profit, volunteer-run community chorus based in Arlington, Massachusetts.  The Chorale was founded in 1989 by Boston-based composer, conductor, author and song leader Nick Page who was inspired by his experience of working with the world renowned musician, actress and educator, Dr. Ysaye Maria Barnwell, of the legendary a cappella group, Sweet Honey in the Rock.   Twenty years later, it is only fitting that the great Dr. Barnwell be a part of the initial concert celebrating twenty years of singing.

The “Inspiration” program will feature songs written by Dr. Barnwell and Nick Page as well as traditional African-American spirituals such as “Swing Down Chariot,” “Balm In Gilead,” “There’s Honey In The Rock” and other songs.  The Mystic Band features Director of the Mystic Band Jonathan Singleton on piano, Ruth Roper on piano, Doug Rich on bass, Zeke Martin on drums, Louise Grasmere on percussion and a featured vocal soloist, Wayne Frieden on guitar and Jeff Levin on harmonica.  Keyboardist Jonathan Singleton also conducts the Mystic Chorale’s annual Gospel season.

The concept of the Mystic Chorale is to make music a participatory experience by creating a dynamic collaboration among the bold and the shy, the untrained and the trained, the audience with the performers, challenging all to enjoy the experience of singing and making music.  

The Chorale seeks to promote singing as an act of compassion--believing that when we create harmony, we make the world a more beautiful place and in so doing become a healing voice for our communities and ourselves.  

The Chorale also seeks to explore [through song] the musically rich and diverse cultures that abound in the world.

A member of the African American female a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey In The Rock, Ysaye M. Barnwell, Ph.D. MSPH, is a commissioned composer, arranger, author and actress.  She is a vocalist with a range of over three octaves and appears on more than twenty-five recordings with Sweet Honey as well as other artists.  Trained as a violinist for 15 years beginning at the age of 2½, she holds degrees in speech pathology (BS, MSEd), cranio-facial studies (Ph.D.) and public health (MSPH).  She was a professor at Howard University College of Dentistry for over a decade, and over the following 8 years developed training programs in Child Protection at Children’s Hospital National Medical Center, and administered community-based health programs at Gallaudet University, all in Washington D.C.  For twenty years, Barnwell has led the workshop Building a Vocal Community - Singing In the African American Tradition, which utilizes oral tradition, an African world view and African American history, values, cultural and vocal traditions to build communities of song among singers and non-singers alike.  Her pedagogy is highly respected among musicians, educators, health workers, activists, organizers, and members of the corporate and non-profit sectors.

Conductor, composer and song leader Nick Page founded The Mystic Chorale in Boston, Massachusetts in 1990.  The two hundred-plus-member chorus now presents concerts which feature sing-a-longs where the audience becomes an equal partner in creating the music.  The Mystic Chorale has presented concerts with sing-a-longs using many cultural themes including South African, Central European, Celtic, Jewish, North American and Latin American, in addition to the annual Gospel sing that features both African-American and white gospel music.  The Chorale has performed in Canada, Europe and New York and even traveled to Costa Rica in July, 2004.  

In 2006, Nick Page received the Outstanding Choral Musician of the Year award, an honor bestowed on him by the Massachusetts Choral Directors Association.

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