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Home , Der Kaiser von Atlantis, George Shirley, Mattiwilda Dobbs

The American Spiritual Ensemble Everett McCorvey, Founder and Music Director www.americanspiritualensemble.com

Program

I

Walk Together, Children arr. W. Henry Smith

Steal Away arr. Joseph Jennings Kenneth Overton, Soloist Matthew Truss, Countertenor Soloist

Hallelujah arr. Robert DeCormier Taiwan Norris, Soloist Jonathan Green, Baritone Soloist

Is There Anybody Here Roland Carter Roderick L. George, Tenor

I Want Jesus to Walk With Me arr. Euridice V. Osterman Ricky Little, Baritone

His Name So Sweet arr. Hall Johnson Sequina DuBose,

I Got To Lie Down arr. Hall Johnson Kenneth Overton, Baritone Fi-yer arr. Hall Johnson Lisa Daltirus, Soprano

I Wanna Be Ready arr. James Miller Hope Koehler, Soprano Soloist

Ezekiel Saw de Wheel arr. Moses Hogan

You Must Have That True Religion arr. Roland Carter Lisa Daltirus, Soprano Soloist I Know I Got Religion arr. Nathan Carter Limmie Pulliam, Tenor

INTERMISSION

II Lift Every Voice and Sing arr. Roland Carter

My God Is A Rock arr. Shaw/Parker

God’s Trombones Roy Ringwald Poems by Poems based on American Negro Folk Sermons Music by based on American Negro Spirituals

I. Opening: A Prayer II. The Judgment Day III. Closing: A Prayer Coda Rock A My Soul arr. Howard Roberts

Sequina DuBose, Patrick Blackwell, Speaker; Jeryl Cunningham-Fleming, Soprano

From Lyric Suite arr. Robert L. Morris adapted by Everett McCorvey and Tedrin Blair Lindsay Humoresque Juba Jeryl Cunningham-Fleming, Sequina DuBose, Lauren Dawson, Hope Koehler

Sit Down Servant, Sit Down arr. Phillip B. McIntyre/Tedrin Blair Lindsay Albert R. Lee, Roderick L. George, Chauncey Packer, Ricky Little, Kenneth Overton

Ol’ Man River Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein Patrick Blackwell

Old Time Religion / When the Saints arr. Everett McCorvey / Keith McCutchen Sabrina Francis, Mezzo-Soprano

Circle of Life (from The Lion King) Elton John and Tim Rice arr. Johnie Dean Sabrina Carten, LaToya Lain

•Program Subject to Change

The American Spiritual Ensemble was founded by Everett McCorvey in 1995. The mission of the American Spiritual Ensemble is to keep the American Negro Spiritual alive. Its members have sung in theaters and houses around the world, including the , , Houston Grand Opera, and abroad in Italy, Germany, Britain, Scotland, Spain, China, and Japan. The repertoire of the American Spiritual Ensemble ranges from opera to spirituals to Broadway. The members of the American Spiritual Ensemble are soloists in their own right and have thrilled audiences around the world with their dynamic renditions of classic spirituals, jazz and Broadway numbers highlighting the Black experience.

Everett McCorvey is a native of Montgomery, Alabama. He received his degrees from the University of Alabama, including a Doctorate of Musical Arts. As a tenor soloist, Dr. McCorvey has performed in major centers around the world including the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., the Metropolitan Opera in New York, Aspen Music Festival in Colorado, Radio City Music Hall in New York and in England, Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan, China, Hungary, Poland and the Czech and Slovak Republics. During the summers, Dr. McCorvey is on the artist faculty of the American Institute of Musical Study (AIMS) in Graz, Austria and the Intermezzo Opera Program in Palm Beach, Florida. Dr. McCorvey holds an Endowed Chair in Opera Studies and is Director of Opera at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. Dr. McCorvey was the Executive Producer of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the Alltech 2010 World Equestrian Games held in Lexington, Kentucky in September of 2010. The Alltech 2010 World Equestrian Game remains the largest equestrian event to be held in the United States to date.

Members of the American Spiritual Ensemble

Sopranos Altos Mari-Yan Pringle Sabrina Carten Jeryl Cunningham-Fleming Sabrina Francis Lisa Daltirus Msiba Ann Grundy Lauren Dawson Hope Koehler Sequina DuBose LaToya Lain Matthew Truss

Tenors Bass Roderick L. George Patrick Blackwell Taiwan Norris Mark Golson Chauncey Packer Jonathan Green Limmie Pulliam Ricky Little Kenneth Overton Nathaniel Thompson Pianist Tedrin Blair Lindsay

Everett McCorvey, Founder and Music Director Ricky Little and Jeryl Cunningham-Fleming, Assistant Conductors James E. Lee, Tour Manager Peggy Stamps, Company Manager Nathaniel Thompson, Tour Photographer Hope Koehler, Program Coordination The American Spiritual Ensemble is represented in the United States by Alkahest Artists & Attractions, Inc. (888) 728-8989 [email protected] or www.Alkahestartists.net in Europe by EUROMUSICA Producciones, Juan Martin Montalvo, Palma de Mallorca, Spain [email protected] VISIT THE AMERICAN SPIRITUAL ENSEMBLE WEBSITE AT: www.americanspiritualensemble.com

Soloist Biographies

Patrick Blackwell, Bass-Baritone Patrick Blackwell studied on a full scholarship at the Juilliard School of Music with the late Enrico DiGiuseppe. Upon graduating, he participated in some of America's foremost Young Artists Programs such as 's Merola and Western Opera Theater, Houston Opera Studio, Opera Music Theater International with Jerome Hines, and The Aspen Opera Theater Center. Mr. Blackwell made his New York City Opera debut in 1995 singing the role of Colline in Puccini's La Bohème. Three years later, he debuted at The singing the roles of Burnah and African 1 in Anthony Davis's World Premier of Amistad. He has since returned in such roles as Henry Davis in 's Street Scene, The Duke of Verona in Gounod's Roméo et Juliette, Hans Folz in Wagner's Die Meistersinger Von Nurenburg and Cal in Blitzstein's Regina. He also sang the roles of Porgy and the Undertaker in the 75th Anniversary of the Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess Tour with both DiCapo Opera Theater and New York Harlem Productions with Bill Barkhymer. Mr. Blackwell appeared at the Castleton Music Festival singing the role of Porgy with Maestro Lorin Maazel in summer 2011. In Los Angeles Opera’s 2013-2014 season, Mr. Blackwell will appear as Lieutenant Ratcliffe in Benjamin Britten’s Billy Budd. When not singing, Mr. Blackwell enjoys spending time with his wife, Joelle, sons Chris and Jesse, and daughter Emily.

Sabrina Elaine Carten, Mezzo-Soprano Sabrina Elayne Carten, a native of New York City, began her career with The Chautauqua Symphony as the Strawberry Woman in Gershwin’s timeless masterpiece, Porgy & Bess. Ms. Carten has performed several roles in this piece with various well-known conductors in numerous theaters around the world: Theater Des Westens in Berlin, Germany, The Caesarea Amphitheater in Israel and with The NY Harlem Productions International Italian Tour. Ms. Carten performed the role of Annie in Porgy & Bess with Houston Grand Opera under the baton of Maestro John DeMain. She made her Virginia Opera debut as Serena, with Maestro Peter Mark, and her New Orleans Opera debut as Maria as well as her New York City Opera debut as Maria in Porgy & Bess with Maestro John DeMain, in Live from Lincoln Center’s premier broadcast on PBS in March 2002. She performed Queenie in Showboat with the Mobile Opera, followed by her portrayal of in I Am Marian Anderson also at Mobile Opera. Ms. Carten made her debut in The Crucible as Tituba with Chautauqua Opera. She then performed the same role with Mobile Opera. Ms Carten sang Mrs Noye in Benjamin Britten’s Noye’s Fludde with The Rochester Oratorio Society as well as the international debut of the new cantata An Atheist Mass in Cracow, Poland. In the National Tour of Hal Prince’s Showboat, Ms. Carten understudied and performed the role of Queenie in Los Angeles, Saint Louis, Denver and other major U.S. cities. She was invited by Maestro Julius Williams to sing the double role of Queen Ayat/Cecilia Lightfoot in Shauneille Perry’s Off Broadway revival of In Dahomey. Internationally, Ms. Carten impressed German and Swiss audiences as the featured singer of Negro Spirituals with the New York Harlem Gospel Singers. The Dance Theatre of Harlem, in a landmark presentation of their new season, featured Ms. Carten singing the sexy role of Della in their debut presentation of Johnny Mercer’s Saint Louis Woman. Ms. Carten is currently a member of the new musical One Night with Janis Joplin as The Blues Singer to critical acclaim. After a much talked about premier in Portland, OR and at The Cleveland Playhouse shows begin in Washington DC at The Arena Stages in October 2012.

Jeryl Cunningham-Fleming, Soprano Jeryl Cunningham-Fleming, a native New Yorker, has performed in Europe, Japan, and the United States. While still an undergraduate student she made her debut with the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra in a concert version of Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, and has since then gone on to sing the roles of Cleopatra in Giulio Cesare at the Ernen Musikdorf Festival in Switzerland, Zerlina in with the Mannes Opera in New York, Clara in Porgy and Bess in Germany, the Netherlands, and Japan, The Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors, the Flower Woman in Andre Previn’s A Streetcar Named Desire, the Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro, La Fortuna in L’Incoronazione di Poppea, and most recently, the Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute with the University of Kentucky Opera Theatre. An artist of great sensitivity, Ms. Cunningham-Fleming has appeared in recital and as a concert soloist in venues that include the United Nations and New York’s Lincoln Center. She has also recorded Schubert’s Mass in G major as soloist with the Boy’s Choir of Harlem. In addition to the classical repertoire, Ms. Cunningham-Fleming is an outstanding interpreter of traditional music from the rich African-American heritage. She is a regular soloist and Assistant Conductor with the American Spiritual Ensemble and has toured with them throughout Europe and the United States. She is also an alumna of the Girls Choir of Harlem. Her innovative recital programming frequently includes works by African-American composers. Ms. Cunningham- Fleming holds a Master of Music from the Mannes College of Music in New York, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Oakwood University in Huntsville, Alabama. She most recently has received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Kentucky under the supervision of Dr. Everett McCorvey.

Lisa Daltirus, Soprano Possessing a radiant voice of beauty, power, nuance and musicality, as well as a commanding stage presence, Lisa Daltirus has performed internationally for opera houses, symphonies and other arts organizations. In her professional operatic debut as Tosca, The New York Times said, “Imperious, Her Eyes Ablaze, The Very Image of Tosca...she exuded an intangible electricity, that charge that comes across to the audience when something is really happening onstage.” Of a subsequent Tosca performance, Opera News reported, “plainly a star in the making... is a clear (and welcome) model vocally....Her full, liquid sound illuminated line after line with musical polish and detail and soared impressively on high B-flats and Cs.” Noted engagements include Ms. Daltirus’ New York City Opera debut as Cilla in Margaret Garner, the title roles of Tosca and Aida and Leonora in Il Trovatore for the Seattle Opera; Aida for the Portland Opera; Tosca for the Connecticut Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, and Arizona Opera; Serena in Porgy and Bess at the Washington National Opera and in concert with the Orlando Philharmonic and the Hollywood Bowl; and Bess in Porgy and Bess at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and on tour in London, Edinburgh and Cardiff with the Cape Town Opera. She has additionally performed in many regional companies to include, Palm Beach Opera, Minnesota Opera, , Boston Lyric Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, and the Opera Company of Philadelphia. European engagements include Lia in Debussy’s L’Enfant Prodigue under the baton of Valery Gergiev at the Concertgebouw, and Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus in Thessaloniki, Greece as well as Nedda in Pagliacci for the Opera Nationale de Nancy, France. Most recently she performed Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana at Opera Lyra Ottawa, Canada, Bess in Porgy and Bess with the Seattle Opera, New Orleans Opera and in concert with the Chicago Sinfonietta, Leonora in Il Trovatore at Opera Carolina, and the title role of Aida at the Arizona Opera and in concert with the Greater Bridgeport Symphony. An active soloist with orchestra, Ms. Daltirus made her critically acclaimed Carnegie Hall debut and her Avery Fisher Hall debut as part of the Richard Tucker Foundation Gala singing the title role of Aida in the “Triumphal Scene.” Recently she performed Mahler’s 4th Symphony and several selections of Das Knaben Wunderhorn with the Plainfield Symphony. In addition, she has performed Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Philadelphia Orchestra and recently with the Shanghai City Orchestra, China; Verdi’s Messa da at the Aspen Music Festival under the baton of David Zinman; Beethoven's Missa Solemnis with the Baltimore Choral Arts Society; Mozart’s Requiem with the Mainline Ecumenical Choir and Symphony; Poulenc’s Gloria with the Wichita Symphony; Samuel Barber's Knoxville Summer of 1915 with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra; and returned to the Philadelphia Chamber Chorus to perform Dona Nobis Pacem by Vaughn-Williams, African Sanctus by Fanshawe, and a concert performance of Porgy and Bess. Ms. Daltirus has been featured by the Bel Canto Lyric Opera of Philadelphia in roles and scenes including Amelia in , Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana, and Leonora in La Forza del Destino, and she has sung the roles of Marguerite in Faust, Tosca, Aida and Menotti's Amelia al Ballo with the Trinity Opera Theater of Philadelphia. Ms. Daltirus has received awards and recognition from the NJ State Opera Vocal competition, the Joy of Singing competition, The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, The Liederkranz International Vocal Competition, and the New York Vocal Artists Competition. She is also the recipient of grants from the Singer's Development Fund in NYC, and the William Matthews Sullivan Foundation.

Lauren Dawson, Soprano Lauren Dawson hails from New York City and Washington, DC. Ms. Dawson studied at the with George Shirley and at Manhattan School of Music with Patricia McCaffrey. Her versatile background has led her to perform in a wide variety of classical and contemporary venues. Ms. Dawson has been seen performing the roles of the Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors, as well as Gretel in scenes from Hansel und Gretel. She recently traveled to London as a soloist with Wynton Marsalis' orchestra for the European premiere of his Abyssinian Mass. Ms. Dawson is delighted to join the American Spiritual Ensemble.

Sequina DuBose, Soprano Sequina DuBose’s repertoire displays her versatility in a variety of comic and dramatic roles. Recently, she made her debut with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, covering the role of Annie in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. She also performed 40 consecutive performances as Clara in the 75th Anniversary National Tour of the Porgy and Bess with PAB Theater where critics raved, “her lovely lyric soprano spun Summertime winningly…she gave unusual stature to Clara as a figure of tragic grandeur” (South Florida Classical Review). In the 2008/09, as Clorinda in Rossini’s La Cenerentola with Opera Memphis, critics praised her portrayal of the wicked stepsister as one of “incessant vanity”, with both sisters praised for characterization “conceived as zany grotesques…as colorful as their voices” (Memphis Commercial Appeal). She has also performed with the Opera Company of Philadelphia, as a Festival Artist with Utah Festival Opera Company, and with the Martina Arroyo Foundation’s Prelude to Performance Program in New York City. Ms. DuBose has received high rankings and awards in several competitions including the Gerda Lissner Foundation International Vocal Competition, The Lotte Lenya Foundation Kurt Weill Vocal Competition, the Annapolis Opera Vocal Competition, the International Hans Gabor Belvedere Competition, the 5 Towns Music and Arts Foundation Competition, the Richardson Awards for Voice, the NATS Competition, and the Leontyne Price Vocal Arts Competition for Emerging Artists. On the concert stage, she has performed and traveled throughout the Czech Republic, Bermuda, Martinique, and Paris. Most notably, she has appeared as a soloist in the world premiere performance and recording of Wynton Marsalis’s All Rise, with the Morgan State University Choir, the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic. Ms. DuBose, a recent graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, currently resides in New York City where she studies voice with Joan Patenaude-Yarnell.

Sabrina Francis, Mezzo-soprano Sabrina Francis is a dramatic mezzo soprano with a rich and warm timbre that excites and moves those that hear her. She received her BFA from UCLA (University California of Los Angeles and MM from USC (University of Southern California). She has performed with the Bellflower Orchestra, Golden West Opera, The California Opera Association, Opera Pasadena and The Contemporary Opera of Los Angeles and with Lula Washington Dance Company as a featured soloist. Her operatic repertoire includes, Third Lady from Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Alyssa from Donizetti’s , and Katisha from The Mikado. She created the role of Erin in the original production of for the Contemporary Opera of Los Angeles in 2004. She was a member of the Los Angeles Opera Chorus and the New York City Opera Chorus where she performed in Samson et Dalila, Dialogues of the Carmelites, Margaret Garner, Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci. She was Flora in Carmen for Houston Ebony Opera, New Jersey Verismo Opera and Regina Opera. She debuted the role of Mother in the world premiere of The Lark of New Rochelle for New Rochelle Opera and performed Gertrude in Romeo et Juliet with Opera Company of Brooklyn. She sang Lily and Maria in Porgy and Bess while touring Germany with New Harlem Productions. She has studied the roles of Ulrica in Un Ballo di Maschera and Azucena in Il Trovatore. Currently she is active singing concerts and collaborations in New York, including Children’s Theater (Pistachio performed in Brooklyn during summer 2012 and again this spring 2013), and developing collective projects with other artist and organizations in NYC. In April 2013 she will present a recital for Gigi’s Playhouse, which is an organization for children with Down syndrome and their families. Ms. Francis is venturing into the land of writing children’s books and hopes to have her first book published by Spring of 2013.

Roderick George, Tenor Tenor Roderick George, a native of Mobile, Alabama, enjoys a diverse career as both a music educator and a performing artist. His recent highlights include company debuts with Dayton Opera and Opera Theater of Pittsburgh as Sportin' Life in Porgy and Bess, Roméo in Roméo et Juliette for the Southern Illinois Music Festival, Gérald in Lakmé and Tamino in Die Zauberflöte with Union Avenue Opera (MO), Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni with Asheville Lyric Opera, and the role of the Beadle in Sweeney Todd with Pensacola Opera. As a concert artist, he was most recently heard in Adolphus Hailstork's oratorio, Done Made My Vow at Indiana University (South Bend), Rossini's Stabat Mater with the Tulsa Oratorio Chorus, Carmina Burana at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, Elijah and Beethoven’s Ninth with the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra, Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy with the Alabama Symphony, and Leslie Adams’ Hymn to Freedom at the University of California-Irvine. He has been a featured soloist in several orchestral concerts with the AIMS Festival Orchestra in Austria, including a benefit concert for Doctors Without Borders and a gala concert celebrating the operettas of Austrian composer Robert Stolz. An active recitalist and champion of the African American art song, Dr. George recently premiered Hailstork’s Four Romantic Love Songs for tenor and piano on poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar at the 2012 African American Art Song Alliance Conference at the University of California Irvine. In competition, he was a regional finalist in the Metropolitan Opera Auditions, NATS Artist Awards, San Francisco Opera Center Auditions, and a finalist in the National Society of Arts and Letters Voice Competition and the Orpheus National Voice Competition. He was an Apprentice Artist with Des Moines Metro Opera and a Resident Artist with Amarillo Opera, where he performed the role of Alfredo in La Traviata. He earned a doctorate in voice performance at The Florida State University and also attended the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz. In addition to his performance endeavors, Dr. George is an associate professor of music and head of the vocal/choral area at the University of Montevallo.

Jonathan R. Green, Baritone Jonathan R. Green, originally from Chicago, Illinois, is a master’s student at the University of Kentucky, studying with Dr. Everett McCorvey. Mr. Green made his UK Opera Theatre debut as Crown in the Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. In the fall of 2011 he performed the roles of Count Capulet and The Duke in Gounod's Roméo et Juliette. In the spring of 2012 he performed the title role in Verdi's Falstaff, and was the baritone soloist in Carl Orff's Carmina Burana. He started his graduate studies at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. While at IU, he studied with Distinguished Professor of Singing Timothy Noble. He graduated from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in 2005. Mr. Green is a former student of Richard Miller. His opera credits include De Brétigny in Manon, the title role in , Der Tod in ’s Der Kaiser von Atlantis, Collatinus in The Rape of Lucretia, Sid in Albert Herring, the title role in Le Nozze di Figaro, Count Ceprano in Rigoletto, Giorgio Germont in La Traviata, General Harrison Howell in Cole Porter’s Kiss Me Kate, Bill Bobstay in Gilbert and Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore, the Cow and Big Bad Wolf in the world premiere of The Ugly Duckling, the Old Gypsy and cover for Count di Luna in Verdi’s Il Trovatore, Detlef in The Student Prince, King Melchior in Amahl and the Night Visitors and the title role of Verdi’s Falstaff. Jonathan joined the American Spiritual ensemble in 2010.

Hope Koehler, Soprano Soprano Hope Koehler, whose voice has been heralded as having “the richness of Marilyn Horne at the bottom and the clarion clarity of Leontyne Price at the top” has appeared in Carmen, Il Trovatore, Lucia di Lammermoor, Rigoletto, The Impressario, The Old Maid and the Thief, Amahl and the Night Visitors, Gianni Schicchi and many others. She has sung the title roles of Tosca, Carmen, Fidelio, and Madama Butterfly. She is a regular performer and featured soloist with the American Spiritual Ensemble, a group that performs all over the world, and whose mission is to keep the American Negro Spiritual alive and vibrant. She can be heard on the CDs The Lily of the Valley, and The Spirit of the Holidays, Swing Low Sweet Chariot, and the DVD The Spirituals, recorded with the American Spiritual Ensemble. In June of 2008 Albany Records released Koehler’s recording of John Jacob Niles songs titled The Lass from the Low Countree performed with James Douglass at the piano. 2013 will see the release of her second Niles CD titled Lost Melodies, also featuring Douglass at the piano. Koehler serves on the voice faculty of the Kentucky Governor’s School for the Arts as well as the Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts. She also serves on the faculty of the American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS) in Graz, Austria. Koehler received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Voice Performance and Music Education at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee, and her Master of Music degree in Voice Performance at the University of Alabama. Her Doctor of Musical Arts degree was completed at the University of Kentucky in Lexington where she studied with tenor Everett McCorvey and soprano Gail Robinson. She is currently on the voice faculty at West Virginia University.

LaToya Lain, Mezzo Soprano LaToya Lain is a former Assistant Professor of Vocal Music at Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama and Adjunct Professor at New York University. She is a native of New Orleans, where she attended the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and was a member of the Moses Hogan Chorale. She has studied voice at Michigan State University and Florida State University. During her tenure at Michigan State, Ms. Lain performed the roles of Sally in A Hand of Bridge and Zita in Gianni Schicchi. She has received both first and second places in the National Association of Teachers for Singing Vocal Competitions and received a full scholarship to attend the International School of the Performing Arts in Pennsylvania. During her tenure at Florida State University, Ms. Lain performed the roles of Little Buttercup in HMS Pinafore, Public Opinion in Orpheus in the Underworld, Madame Armfeldt in A Little Night Music, and Dame Quickly in Falstaff. Ms. Lain is currently completing her Doctorate of Musical Arts at the College Conservatory of Music. Since becoming a student at CCM, Ms. Lain has appeared as Bianca in The Rape of Lucretia, Jezibaba in Rusalka, Baba in The Medium, Tituba in The Crucible and Polinesso in Ariodante. She has appeared as a soloist several times with CCM Symphony Band and has been an Alto soloist with the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra and the CCM Philharmonic Orchestra. She was the Encouragement Award Winner of the Gerda Lissner Foundation Scholarship Competition in New York City and has also received 3rd place in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Regional Competition in the Gulf Coast Region and an Encouragement Award in the MET Competition the following year. Ms. Lain once again attended the Opera Theatre and Music Festival of Lucca, Italy where she has performed as La Principessa in Puccini’s Suor Angelica and Madame D'Urfe in the Italian premier of Argento's Casanova. The November/December 2003 issue of Opera Now magazine described her performance as “outstanding!” The local newspaper chose the word "ottimo" when describing Ms. Lain's character. She has also completed intense study at the International School of the Performing Arts in Pennsylvania and the Rising Star Singer's Audition Works in Rising Sun, Indiana. Ms. Lain was in the Young Artist Program at Chautauqua Opera, where she performed in Madame Butterfly, The Crucible, The Music Man, and Lucia of Lammermoor. She has since relocated to New York City where she has performed as Zita in Gianni Schicchi with Chelsea Opera, is a soloist with Opera Noire of New York and has several upcoming engagements with Opera Oggi New York.

Tedrin Blair Lindsay, Pianist Tedrin Blair Lindsay was raised in Rome, Italy and has been a professional accompanist since the age of ten. He performs well over one hundred recitals annually, boasting a huge repertoire of vocal and instrumental chamber works, with specialties in 20th century French and American music. Dr. Lindsay is presently on the opera faculty at the University of Kentucky, where he works as vocal coach and musical director. His UK productions have included Joseph Baber’s River of Time, Aaron Copland’s The Tender Land, Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music, Gian Carlo Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors, Andre Previn’s A Streetcar Named Desire, Rachel Portman’s The Little Prince, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel, and nine incarnations of UK’s annual Broadway revue It’s a Grand Night for Singing. He also teaches the popular course “Introduction to Opera” for the Lexington Opera Society, and for several years has hosted the Opera Quiz intermission feature for the Metropolitan Opera Council Auditions at both the district and regional levels. While in Kentucky, Mr. Lindsay has collaborated several times with Actors’ Guild of Lexington – as award-winning musical director for Sondheim’s Assassins and William Finn’s Falsettos, and as composer of an elaborate score for Angels in America: Perestroika by . Dr. Lindsay has also worked with such New York companies as Bel Canto Opera, Golden Fleece Opera, Westchester Opera, Rockwell Productions, and the off-Broadway Lamb’s Theatre Company. In the early 1990s, he traveled as musical director of the first two national tours of Randy Courts and Mark St. Germain’s The Gifts of the Magi, and another national tour of Roger Miller’s Big River, and more recently he has performed in Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center, and in the entourage of Muhammad Ali’s European tour to promote his charitable foundation.

Ricky Little, Baritone Ricky Little is a native of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He attended Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama where he earned the Bachelor of Arts degree in Music. As a University Fellow at The Ohio State University, Dr. Little earned the Master of Arts Degree in Vocal Pedagogy and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Vocal Performance. During this time he also completed studies in opera performance at the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria. Dr. Little has been engaged in hundreds of creative productions in North America, Europe, Asia, and South America. He has given more than one hundred international performances on four continents, which include eighteen countries and over twenty-five major cities. To date he has participated in twenty major professional tours, encompassing over twenty international music festivals. He has performed in some of the most prestigious music halls in the world, and before royalty and heads of state, including former U.S. President Bill Clinton. His work has been reviewed in national and international newspapers, and has been aired over the ABC, TBN, KET and BET television networks. Performances given by Dr Little on the international stage have been broadcast over radio and television in Italy, Spain, East Germany, Great Britain, Brazil and other countries in South America. He can be seen in the films Impresario, and The Spirituals, and can be heard on four CD recordings. The Alabama Music Hall of Fame has also recognized Dr. Little for his work as conductor with the Aeolians of Oakwood College. In 2003, the Aeolians were given a bronze star in the Hall of Fame.Currently Dr. Little holds the position of Associate Professor of Voice at Morehead State University in Morehead, Kentucky, and is assistant conductor of The American Spiritual Ensemble.

Kenneth Overton, Baritone Kenneth Overton has consistently received accolades for his rich gleaming voice and his many layered, powerful interpretations. After successful engagements with New York City Opera’s Schomberg Series, Kenneth makes his NYCO mainstage debut in Feburary 2012 as Doctor Grenvil in Verdi’s La Traviata and will return to Boheme Opera(NJ) as Papageno in The Magic Flute. Recently he performed a gala with the Sarasota Symphony, and also sang the title role of Porgy in Porgy and Bess with Lexington Opera Society /U of Kentucky Opera Theater. Kenneth also made his Pensacola Opera debut this season in the world premier of David Ott's The Widow's Lantern and returned to Pensacola Opera as Joe(Showboat). He reprised the role of Sharpless(Madama Butterfly) for Opera Memphis, and Porgy for The 75th Anniversary tour to Opera Carolina, and returned to San Francisco Opera as Sid (La Fanciulla del West). Kenneth’s 2010-11 engagements include Germont(La Traviata) with Sacramento Opera, the soloist in Handel's Messiah with The Norwalk Symphony, Verdi's Requiem at Montclaire State University and at The Cathedral Basilica in NJ His 2008-9 engagements include debuts with the Phoenix Symphony(Messiah), Norwalk Symphony(Messiah), The Paducha Symphony(Porgy), a return engagement to the Duluth Superior Symphony in Vaughn Williams’ “A Sea Symphony”, and a concert featuring Mahler, Copland and opera arias with the San Antonio Symphony. He also sang the lead in Opera Theatre of Pittsburgh’s production of Porgy and Bess, a “magnificent” Gershwin evening with Richmond Symphony, and sang Lawyer Frazier with the San Francisco Opera in Porgy and Bess. In 2008 Kenneth made his debut as Porgy in Porgy and Bess at the famous in the critically acclaimed production from Cape Town Opera in South Africa. He recently toured the British Isles as Porgy in Porgy and Bess and, in the same role, opened Opera Memphis' 51st season. He also made his début recently with Stadttheater Klagenfurt as Jake (Porgy and Bess) and sang his first Escamillo (Carmen) with Missouri Symphony Society, and well as Leporello (Don Giovanni) with Opera Memphis, Bello (La Fancuilla del West) with Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, as Bass soloist in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, as the Baritone soloist in Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs with the Oratorio Society of New Jersey and a concert version of Porgy with The Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra. Other recent performances include a return to Connecticut Opera for Taddeo (L’Italiana in Algeri) and appeared as Sharpless(Madama Butterfly), Masetto(Don Giovanni) and Schaunard(La Boheme) with Metro Lyric Opera (NJ). He also appeared as soloist in Schubert’s Mass in Ab and Haydn’s Creation with the Summit Chorale Festival (NJ), in addition to his annual Spain tour with the American Spiritual Ensemble. Kenneth has also been heard as Germont(La Traviata) at Boheme Opera(NJ), Leporello (Don Giovanni) at Houston Ebony Opera Guild and Opera Memphis; Ping (Turandot) with Opera Delware, Nashville Opera, Opera Memphis, Sacramento Opera, Connecticut Opera and Opera Carolina; Schaunard (La Boheme) and El Dancaire with Opera Memphis; Sharpless (Madama Butterfly), Angelotti(Tosca) and Papageno (Die Zauberflöte) with the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera; Baz Luhrman’s Broadway La Boheme; Masetto (Don Giovanni) with Connecticut Grand Opera, Schaunard(La Boheme) and Papageno(Die Zauberflöte) with Connecticut Opera; City Center Encores’ production and recording of Romberg’s New Moon, and performed the role of Stephen Kumalo in Lost in the Stars with Skylark Opera. Kenneth’s intelligence and versatility have allowed him to excel in several modern works including Corps of Discovery by Michael Ching with Opera Festival of New Jersey; Six Characters by Hugo Weisgall; Nexus Arts (NY) The Gilded Cage by Kioulaphides. With the Westfield Symphony Orchestra, He made his Carnegie Hall début as Baritone soloist in Come Follow Me by Jackson Berkey with Mid-America Productions. He was a winner of the Liederkranz Competition and a national winner of the Leontyne Price Vocal Competition. He is also co-founder of Opera Noire of New York, a performing arts organization created to empower African-American artists to reach their full creative potential in a mutually supportive environment.

Chauncey Packer, Tenor American tenor Chauncey Packer is an exciting talent on the stages of opera houses in Europe and the United States. In recent years, Mr. Packer has performed the roles of Steuermann Der Fliegende Höllander with New Orleans Opera, Amon Akhnaten with Opera, Alfredo La Traviata with Pensacola Opera, and Rodolfo La Bohème with Soo Theatre and Mobile Opera. This young tenor is highly in-demand for his captivating portrayal of Sportin' Life Porgy and Bess. In 2011, he sang the role under the baton of Maestro Lorin Maazel to rave reviews. He has also performed the role with San Francisco Opera, New Orleans Opera, Atlanta Opera, Opera Birmingham, Mobile Opera, Opera Grand Rapid, Pensacola Opera, Tulsa Opera and in many major European cities with the Munich-based New York Harlem Productions tour. He has performed Porgy and Bess in Japan and with an additional tour with Opéra Comique where he sang Mingo and covered Sportin' Life in Paris, Caen, Granada and Luxembourg. He is also featured on the Porgy and Bess recording conducted by John Mauceri with Nashville Symphony, released in 2006 on Decca. In addition to the companies aforementioned, Mr. Packer has also performed with the Utah Festival Opera, Shreveport Opera, Nashville Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera and LSU Opera in such roles as Pinkerton Madama Butterfly, the title role in Werther, Pong Turandot, Sam Susannah, Ruggero La Rondine, Dr. Blind Die Fledermaus, Revival Singer Elmer Gantry, Tamino Die Zauberflöte, Edmondo Manon Lescaut, Larry/Matt The Face On The Barroom Floor, Arturo Lucia di Lammermoor, Remendado Carmen, and Beppe Pagliacci. He has also performed concerts with Edmonton Opera, Opera Noire of New York, Chicago Sinfonietta, Baton Rouge Symphony, Mobile Symphony, Gulf Coast Opera, New River Valley Symphony, Grand Rapid Symphony, and Pensacola Symphony, in such works as Haydn Paukenmesse, Bruckner Te Deum, Schubert Mass in G Major, Handel Messiah, Beethoven Mass in C Major and Ninth Symphony. Mr. Packer has been the recipient of several prestigious awards, including the Huel Perkins Fellowship at Louisiana State University for doctoral studies. He has won several vocal competitions including Rose Palmai-Tenser Competition, and Shreveport Singer of the Year, and was a finalist in Ducrest International Competition. He placed several times in the regional finals of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and in 2005, won at the regional level and was a national semi- finalist. Chauncey Packer is originally from southern Alabama where he received his undergraduate degree from University of Mobile and his master's degree in music from University of New Orleans. Mr. Packer is featured on New World Record’s Treemonisha recording in the role of Remus with Paragon Ragtime Orchestra. This recently release recording is receiving top critical acclaim by The New Yorker, BBC Music Magazine, and countless others. Mr. Packer’s future engagements include concerts with Boston Symphony Orchestra and a premiere an opera commissioned about the historic 1960’s civil rights bus rides to New Orleans entitled Freedom Rides in New Orleans.

Mari-Yan Pringle, Soprano Mari-Yan Pringle is the 2011 Winner of the Schuyler Foundation for Career Bridges, Inc. Grant. A member of the cast of the 75th Anniversary National Tour of George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess; Ms. Pringle, initially cast as the Strawberry Woman, garnered glowing reviews and was deemed a stand out with a voice that created a sultry atmosphere. Her success ultimately led to delivering what has been called a refreshingly and beautifully rendered…fierce Serena and has reprised the role in several houses abroad in Berlin, Bremen, Köln, Leipzig, and Mannheim. Mari-Yan is a regular soloist with the American Spiritual Ensemble, former Resident Artist with the Opera Company of Brooklyn, Music Academy of the West under the direction of Marilyn Horne, and has performed with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. A frequent recitalist and guest artist, Ms. Pringle held the privilege of paying homage to Mattiwilda Dobbs in song at the 125th Anniversary Gala of (the Alma Mater of both Ms. Dobbs and Ms. Pringle) as well as participate in Master Classes with famed American Renée Fleming (The Hochstein School of Music--Young Audiences of Rochester) and Deborah Voigt (Zankel Hall, Carnegie Hall--The Marilyn Horne Foundation). This April, she will be the Soprano Soloist in Antonín Dvořák's Stabat Mater and perform as a Resident Artist at the International Vocal Arts Institute this summer. Ms. Pringle is the recipient of numerous awards and honors. She is a winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions (Georgia District) and Encouragement Award (Southeastern Regional); Finalist, Florida Grand Opera and Pittsburgh Opera Center; Winner, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra Rising Star Competition; Winner, Friends of Eastman Opera Competition; Second Place, Washington International Competition; and Young Alumna/Rising Star Award from the New York Alumnae Chapter of the National Association of Spelman College.

Taiwan Norris, Tenor Taiwan Norris, a rich voiced, accomplished tenor, has sung around the world. He has graced stages such as Dvorak Hall in Prague, Komische Oper in Berlin, and Teatro Massimo Bellini in Catania, Italy. Taiwan recently performed the lead role of Paul Laurence Dunbar in the world premiere of A Mask in the Mirror: The Marriage of Paul Laurence Dunbar and Alice Ruth Moore with Trilogy: An Opera Company. Other recent roles include Remus in Treemonisha, Mayor Kenneth Gibson in The Three Mayors and Uncle Crosby in Emmit Till with Trilogy: An opera company of Newark, NJ. Norris also played Robbins in the American 75th anniversary tour of Porgy and Bess. In 2008, Taiwan made his Lyric Opera of Chicago debut as Robbins in Porgy and Bess. He has also been in numerous productions with the Opera Company of Philadelphia, New York City Opera, and San Francisco Opera. In June 2008, he was selected as one of six finalists in the Harlem Opera Theatre 2008 Vocal Competition held at the world famous Apollo Theatre. A skilled singer and actor, Norris played Tiny Joe Dixon in Dreamgirls at Prince Music Theatre; and Jack Worthing in The Importance of Being Earnest at Berkeley College. He began his musical journey at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC and holds a B.A. in Vocal Performance from Morgan State University in Baltimore, MD

Limmie Pulliam, Tenor Praised by audiences for his captivating stage presence and powerful & expressive voice, tenor, Limmie Pulliam is, once again, quickly making his presence known on the concert and operatic stage. After more than a 10 year hiatus from singing, the Missouri native made his much anticipated return to the concert stage in 2011. Most recently, Limmie has presented concerts, recitals and masterclasses throughout Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas and Illinois. He is the 2012 winner of the National Opera Association's National Vocal Competition where he was also presented with the Todd Duncan Legacy Award. Limmie was also selected as a 2012 Finalist in the Wagner Division of the prestigious Liederkranz Vocal Competition. Limmie studied at the renowned Oberlin Conservatory of Music and has performed on concert and operatic stages throughout Europe and the United States, working with such notable conductors as Maurizio Arena, Michael Ching, Ward Holmquist, Louis Lane, Stephen Lord, Michael Morgan and Robert Spano.

Peggy Stamps, Company Manager / Stage Director Peggy Stamps is a native of , Michigan. Peggy began studying dance and drama at an early age and had the opportunity to study and perform for many years under world renowned choreographers and directors including Sara Yarborough and Keith Lee (former soloists with The Alvin Ailey Dance Company), Robin Wilson (founding member of Urban Bush Women), Barbara Sullivan (Atlanta Dance Theatre) and Mike Lemmon (casting director, The Sixth Sense). Peggy has used her training to land roles in "Ain't Misbehavin", "A Chorus Line" and as Linda Loman in "Death of a Salesman". Peggy is also an award winning product spokesperson (QVC Q-Star Award) and has appeared on cable networks in the US and Canada on over 200 occasions in addition to over 100 training films, commercials and voice over spots. Peggy began focusing on choreography and stage direction early in her career. Over the past 25 years, Peggy has choreographed and directed over 100 stage productions and concert works and in 2000 Peggy was awarded the Southeastern Theatre Conference’s Excellence in Choreography Award. Peggy, however, always maintained her love for the performance of modern dance to the spiritual (the performance style danced by her first mentor). This propelled her to join the American Spiritual Ensemble in its second year. Peggy has since this time served as a solo dancer, stage director and currently the Company Manager for the group. Peggy is a graduate of Purdue University School of Industrial Engineering. After working for Fortune 500 companies for 25 years as an engineer “choreographing” technical projects, Peggy retired and became the owner and founder of The SquarePeg Group, Inc, an organization specializing in performing artist development. Peggy is a BMI lyricist with original works contracted by Gaither Publishing and performed by Cherryholmes. Peggy is married to her favorite artist, architect Randall Vaughn. Read more about Peggy at http://www.ket.org/artstoolkit/drama/careers/stamps_p.htm

Nathaniel E. Thompson, Bass Noted for his commanding world-class and dark-hued voice, Bahamian-American bass-baritone Nathaniel E. Thompson was educated at Kentucky State University and Ohio State University where he studied with Dr. Carl Smith and Metropolitan Opera Star, Andrew Smith. Over the last ten years, he has been a proud student of the celebrated tenor and Artistic Director of Harlem Opera Theater, Dr. Gregory Hopkins. He also worked with the acclaimed baritone and voice teacher, Mark Oswald. Mr. Thompson’s overwhelming passion for the musical arts has captivated audiences across the United States, Mexico, Ecuador, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Italy, Columbia, and Spain with performances of opera, spirituals, gospel and other contemporary music. Mr. Thompson is an active member of the American Spiritual Ensemble, New Jersey State Opera, Harlem Opera Theater, Harlem Jubilee Singers, Opera Noire of New York, Tutti Bravi Productions Inc., and Cincinnati Opera. His operatic repertoire includes leading and supporting roles in Gershwin’s American classic Porgy and Bess, as well as Verdi’s La Traviata, along with Donna Cribari’s The Gentle Lark of New Rochelle: Celebrating the Life of Ellabelle Davis. Thompson participated in a recording of Richard Benjamin’s interpretation of Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha, solo work for the Umbria Jazz Festival in Orvieto, Italy, and The Duke Ellington Jazz Series in Lexington, Kentucky. In November of 2012, Nathaniel toured with the Orquesta Sinfonica de La Universidad de Concepcion under the direction of Maestro Benjamin Shwartz, masterfully interpreting the role of Porgy in Gerswhin’s Porgy and Bess. Mr. Thompson is also a freelance photographer, documenting and photographing models, actors and artists in the New York scene.

Matthew Truss, Countertenor Matthew Truss has garnered critical acclaim both nationally and internationally on the concert and opera stage. Praised for his “mellifluous voice and ebullient manner,” Matthew is making his mark as a countertenor whose “precocious” voice “boasts both beauty and volume.” Recent performances include concerts with Coro Lutero King (São Paulo, Brazil), touring with the American Spiritual Ensemble (Lexington, KY), the Lexington Symphony (Lexington, MA) and the Orchestra of Indian Hill (Littleton, MA). To his credit are the opera roles of Akhnaten (Glass), Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Britten), Belize in Angels in America (Eötvös), and the premiere roles of Rev. Eli Hunt in We Are Sons (Rojahn), and The Miller in Rumpelstiltskin (Epstein). An alumnus of Boston Conservatory, Matthew joined the voice faculty of the Berklee College of Music City Music Boston Faculty Outreach program in 2011 where in this new role he continues to hone his craft as a teaching artist. In support of this work, he has accepted an additional appointment within the Boston Public Schools to teach an intensive on vocal/choral music. With a teaching philosophy deeply rooted in the idea that we are all life-long learners, Matthew challenges his students to awaken their consciousness as young singers and explore their unique vocal potential. Matthew has been the recipient of many awards including the Jerry Hadley Award in the 2008 Elardo International Opera Competition (Bruges, Belgium) and being a two-time finalist in the New England Regional Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.

American Spiritual Ensemble is a not for profit organization and is exempt from Federal income tax according to section 501 (c) (3)