The Washington Chorus to present composer Elena Ruehr in lecture series

March 1, 2011 - PRLog -- "The African-American Voice in Classical Music, Patrick D. McCoy is proud to support this magnificent collaboration and hope that you will share with your networks about this celebration of word and song.

WASHINGTON, D. C.-The Washington Chorus will sponsor a series of free lectures throughout the Washington, D. C. area in preparation for its special April 3rd concert at the National Presbyterian Church. This season’s Music for A New Age concert will feature several beloved literary works, including a musical setting of Langston Hughes’ poem “Gospel Cha Cha,” by noted composer Elena Ruehr.  Music director Julian Wachner will conduct the Grammy® award winning Washington Chorus and orchestra with internationally acclaimed African-American baritone Stephen Salters featured as soloist. Salters most recently was presented in recital by Vocal Arts DC in the Terrace Theater at The Kennedy Center.
Committed to providing musical enjoyment to the entire community and the welcoming of diversity to its concert audiences, The Washington Chorus has partnered with the Coalition for African-Americans in the Performing Arts (CAAPA) in selected lectures designed to provide additional educational opportunities from the African-American perspective.  “Our goal is to expose the African American community to classical music in different ways”, stated Pamela T. Simonson, CAAPA Co-Founder with her brother musician Victor Simonson.

Representatives of the Coalition for African-Americans in the Performing Arts (CAAPA) will be on hand to personally welcome the community at the following lectures:

Thursday, MARCH 10TH,
9:00 am – 10:00 am Howard University Department of Music
Childres Hall, Room 3001
2455 6th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005
Info: 202-806-7095

1:00 pm – 2:00 pm Maryland National Capital Park & Planning Commission MNCPPC - Harmony Hall Regional Center
Battersea Room
10701 Livingston Road
Fort Washington, MD 20744
Info: 301-203-6040

3:00 pm – 4:00 pm University of District of Columbia
Department of Performing Arts
4200 Connecticut Ave., NW
Fine Arts Building 46 West, Room A03
Washington, DC 20008
Info: 202-274-5803

5:00 pm – 6:00 pm Levine School of Music – Levine
THEARC (Town Hall Education Arts & Recreation Campus)
Recital Hall, 2nd Floor 1901 Mississippi Avenue SE
Suite 201 Washington, DC 20020 Info: 202-610-2036

FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011
7:00 pm – 8:00 pm Clifton Park Baptist Church
Main Sanctuary
8818 Piney Branch Road
Silver Spring, MD
(Reception Immediately Following)
Info: 301-434-2456


The first thirty attendees at each lecture will receive FREE tickets to attend the upcoming concert performed by The Washington Chorus “New Music for a New Age” featuring Ruehr’s works including the Hughes poem along with other works by Emily Dickinson “Cricket, Spider, Bee” and “Averno”, a world premiere with text by Louis Gluck at National Presbyterian Church, Washington, DC on Sunday, April 3, 2011 at 5:00 pm.   For complete listing of all lecture locations, please visit http://www.thewashingtonchorus.org or call the CAAPA offices at (301) 203-0929