We Shall Overcome a Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Featuring
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We Shall Overcome A Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Featuring Damien Sneed and Toronto Mass Choir Sunday, January 13, 2018 at 7:00pm This is the 902nd concert in Koerner Hall Damien Sneed, Leader, piano & vocals Chenee Campbell, vocals Markita Knight, vocals Ayana George, vocals Anitra McKinney, vocals Quinn Brown, vocals Mark Clark, drums John Matthew Clark, bass Marquéz Cassidy, keyboards Toronto Mass Choir Karen Burke, Co-founder & Director Inspired by the words and action of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., We Shall Overcome showcases repertoire from across the African American music traditions that electrified generations of civil rights activists and defenders with interwoven spoken word from Dr. King’s recorded speeches. This production ties together a living lineage of music and culture that includes traditional gospel, modern gospel, classical, jazz, Broadway, and spirituals. From Aretha Franklin to Wynton Marsalis, Duke Ellington to Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone to Donny Hathaway, and traditional spirituals and music from The Wiz, Sneed’s unique understanding of each genre allows him to fluidly cover so much musical ground in a single performance. Composers include Duke Ellington, Damien Sneed, Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder, and Wynton Marsalis, and songbooks of Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, Donny Hathaway, and music from The Wiz. Damien Sneed Damien Sneed is a multi-genre recording artist and a 2014 recipient of the prestigious Sphinx Medal of Excellence honour, which is presented annually to emerging Black and Latino leaders in classical music. He has also garnered attention in a wide range of other musical genres, including jazz, gospel, pop, R&B, opera, and musical theatre. A pianist, organist, vocalist, conductor, composer, producer, arranger, and arts educator, Sneed has worked with legends such as Aretha Franklin, Wynton Marsalis, Jessye Norman, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, and Ashford & Simpson, Wycliffe Gordon, and Eric Reed. He has served as music director for Grammy Award-winning gospel artists, including Kim Burrell, The Clark Sisters, Richard Smallwood, Donnie McClurkin, Hezekiah Walker, Marvin Sapp, Karen Clark Sheard, Dorinda Clark-Cole, and Kierra Sheard. He also was musical director for season four of “Sunday Best,” Black Entertainment Television’s hit award-winning gospel singing competition show. In May 2015, he was tapped by Tony Award winner, George Faison, as the musical director and conductor for the CityParks Foundation’s Central Park’s Summer Stage production of The Wiz: A Celebration in Dance & Music. He was guest conductor of the USC Symphony Orchestra for the 2016-17 season and has graduated with his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Orchestral Conducting from USC in 2018 as a student of Maestro Donald Portnoy. An acclaimed artist with a global reach, Sneed has performed in Europe, Japan, the U.S. Virgin Islands, South America, Africa, and the United States. He also has playedat historic national and international events, including the 2012 Olympics in London and activities related to the Inauguration of President Barack Obama. Toronto Mass Choir Toronto Mass Choir continues to be on the cutting edge of Canadian gospel music, bringing their distinct sound to the world stage. Their music incorporates contemporary gospel, traditional gospel, as well as Caribbean music influences. The seeds of this gospel choir were sown during the choir’s initial live recording concert in October 1988. Since then, the choir has recorded 12 albums, including the Juno Award-winning Instrument of Praise, which won Contemporary Christian/Gospel album of the Year in 2003; Going Home, an all-Caribbean gospel project in 2008; and Made For Worship, which was released in 2014 as a CD+DVD combination. Most recently, TMC released By Special Request in June 2018. Karen Burke, a Royal Conservatory alumna and a Professor of music at York University, is the director of the diversified group of singers and musicians along with her husband, Oswald Burke, who is their Executive Producer. Now 45-strong, plus a five-piece band, the not for profit choir consists of adult members from all across the GTA. Toronto Mass Choir continues a busy concert schedule, appearing on many radio and television broadcasts, and has been the focus for several television documentaries. TMC’s travels abroad have taken them to several different countries, including England, Poland, Romania, Italy, Barbados, Dominican Republic, and the United States. The choir has also performed at countless church services, festivals, award shows, and venues such as The Ottawa Bluesfest, the Toronto Jazz Festival, Roy Thompson Hall with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and Hamilton Place with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra. Featuring Damien Sneed and Toronto Mass Choir are making their Royal Conservatory debuts tonight. .