Classical Concerts | Releasing the Energies: Choral Music in Dialogue with the Art of Barbara Bullock

Musicians: The Choir at St. Thomas, Whitemarsh

 

Drawing on three themes and titles from Barbara Bullocks' artwork, this program features the human voice singing texts that amplify or comment on titles of various artworks. The first theme,  "Stories my Grandmother Told Me," is a collection of works including Nigerian folksongs, songs about intergenerational connectedness and community, and texts drawn from Pennsylvania Dutch samplers. The second theme, "Most Precious Blood," features music that speaks to police violence towards Black men as well as the Christian concept of the sacredness of Jesus's blood. Finally, in "Spirit House", we explore themes of the afterlife, spirits, ancestors, and housing security. 

 

The choir at St. Thomas, Whitemarsh consists of trained choral singers and volunteers who love singing. We have an equal commitment to musical excellence and caring community, and we believe that those two concepts reinforce each other. We sing a wide spectrum of music: ninth century chants to works composed this year; music from the Black Church tradition and music from English cathedrals, and everything in between. The choir was recently invited to sing at St. Thomas' Fifth Avenue in NYC.