The New England Spiritual Ensemble will give a concert of “songs that soothe the soul,” celebrating the works of William Dawson, John W. Work, John Andrew Ross and Moses Hogan, on Sunday, October 14 at 5 PM at King's Chapel, 58 Tremont Street in downtown Boston. The African American Spirituals form the New England Spiritual Ensemble’s repertoire and frames its mission. Gospel which evolved from the traditional African-American spirituals, can be more exuberant, but nothing touches the depths of the soul or connects with its yearnings more than the spirituals. Although not all of us learned them at the knee of a grandmother, the spirituals are part of the cultural experience of us all -– a uniquely American musical tradition born of suffering but infused with unshakable hope.
The members of the Boston-based New England Spiritual Ensemble, founded in 1994 by Vincent Dion Stringer, Myran Parker-Brass and Beverly Mosby, are conservatory trained professional musicians who are exceptional communicators. Their performances are captivating and totally engrossing, always involving the audience emotionally. Modeled after the classically trained Fisk Jubilee Singers, The New England Spiritual Ensemble is devoted to “preserving the art and tradition of Negro spirituals.”
The New England Spiritual Ensemble has been heard nationally on “CBS Sunday Morning”, on National Public Radio’s “Performance Today”, is the subject of several public television features, and has toured nationally and internationally. Its first recording, “Comin Up Shouting”, features the arrangements of spirituals and works of John Andrew Ross. The music critic of the Boston Globe pronounced the ensemble “excellent….blessed with performers who own good voices….daringly expressive”, and reported that the performance “brought a hush to the hall”.
The doors of King's Chapel will open at 4:30 PM on October 14. Admission is by suggested donation of $15, $10 for students and seniors. King's Chapel is wheelchair-accessible.
