One hundred and twenty young gospel singers from four eastern cities will join the Ithaca College Symphony Orchestra on Saturday, March 18, for the High School Gospel Invitational Festival Concert. Free and open to the public, the performance will begin at 8:15 p.m. in Ford Hall in the James J. Whalen Center for Music.
"The student singers will be coming from Ithaca, Syracuse, New York City, and Washington, D.C.," says Baruch Whitehead, assistant professor of music education and organizer of the event. "Sponsored by the School of Music, this event will give deserving, underrepresented students a rare opportunity to participate in the rich heritage of gospel music."
A gospel music specialist, Whitehead holds leadership roles in several Ithaca-area music initiatives for underrepresented students. He is also the founder of the Ithaca College Orff-Schulwerk certification program, which uses chants, dances, clapping, and other forms of rhythmic expression to introduce elementary school children to music.
Joining Whitehead in conducting the concert will be gospel music luminaries Glenn Burleigh and Diane White. Founder of the Glenn Burleigh Music Workshop and Ministry, Burleigh is a renowned teacher, composer, and pianist. His composition "Order My Steps" was named 1994 Song of the Year at the Texas Gospel Music Awards and ran high on the Billboard Gospel Charts for 94 consecutive weeks. White is also an acclaimed composer and has performed her works with other prominent gospel artists at numerous venues, including the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the Strathmore Performing Arts Center.
Compositions by both these musicians, along with selections by Hezekiah Walker and a soulful rendition of Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus," will be featured in the Invitational Festival Concert. The guests will lead the high school students in rehearsal and workshops leading to the performance.
"The singers participating in this concert were highly recommended by their teachers," Whitehead says. "They come from areas where they don't have opportunities to perform in select groups, let alone work with acclaimed clinicians and teachers. This will be a wonderful experience for everyone involved."
The Ithaca College School of Music offers some 300 free concerts each academic year. More information on these performances is available by calling (607) 274-3717 or visiting www.ithaca.edu/concerts.
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