Spiritual Sketches Program

David White Photography

SPIRITUAL SKETCHES with Lawrence Brownlee & Damien Sneed June 8, 2015 Union Baptist Church Philadelphia, PA

SPIRITUAL SKETCHES Every time I feel the Spirit Tu lo sai Giuseppe Torelli (1650-1703) Here’s one Sinner please don’t let this harvest pass lawrence brownlee

Witness arr. Hall Johnson (1888-1970) Lord, how come me here? arr. Evelyn Simpson-Curenton (b. 1953) angela brown

Balm in Gilead Sometimes I feel like a motherless child Soon I will be done Down by the riverside lawrence brownlee

Wade in the water Steal away

arr. Shawn Okpebholo (b. 1981) arr. Shawn Okpebholo (b. 1981)

will liverman

Deep river All night all day Come by here good Lord lawrence brownlee

Unless otherwise noted, all spirituals are arranged by Damien Sneed

Yamaha Piano provided by Yamaha Artist Services, New York

LAWRENCE BROWNLEE tenor The most in-demand American tenor in the world in the bel canto repertoire, Lawrence Brownlee continues to astonish audiences with the elegance and agility of his instrument. From firmly American roots, Larry has become a star on the international scene, lauded for the seemingly effortless beauty of his voice.

This season, Larry returned to Seattle Opera for his role debut as Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni. He then returned to the Metropolitan Opera as Count Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia, and performed with Opernhaus Zürich as Don Ramiro in La cenerentola opposite Cecilia Bartoli, followed by his role debut as Ferrando in Così fan tutte with the Bayerische Staatsoper.

He also appeared with Festspielhaus Baden-Baden as the Italian Tenor in a new production of Der Rosenkavalier under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle.

He then performed as Tonio in Daughter of the Regiment with Pittsburgh Opera, before arriving in Philadelphia to create the role of Charlie Parker in the World Premiere of Charlie Parker’s YARDBIRD, a work written specifically for him.

Larry’s critically-acclaimed “Spiritual Sketches” album, which is both a reimagining of and a love letter to a musical tradition in which he was raised, features ten traditional spirituals arranged by his friend and collaborator, Damien Sneed.

An Ohio native, Larry received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Anderson University and a Master of Music degree from Indiana University. He is a Life Member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc.

UNION BAP TIST CHURCH The church home of the international contralto, Marian Anderson, was founded in 1832 by Daniel Scott and 21 African-American freedmen.

Construction on the current edifice was begun under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Wesley George Parks in 1915 and completed in 1916. Union has thrived under the leadership of many outstanding pastors, including the present pastor, Rev. Donald K. West. The Church serves food to the needy in our surrounding South Philadelphia community and supports orphans in South Africa.

DAMIEN SNEED

pianist

Damien Sneed is a rising star who is widely admired for his range of musical talents and his extraordinary achievements in his burgeoning career. A 2014 recipient of the prestigious Sphinx Medal of Excellence, which is presented annually to emerging Black and Latino leaders in classical music, Sneed has also garnered attention in a wide range of other musical genres, including jazz, gospel, pop and R&B. A pianist, organist, conductor, composer, producer, arranger, vocal coach and lecturer, Sneed has worked with jazz, classical, pop and R&B legends such as Wynton Marsalis, Jessye Norman, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Carlos Santana, Ashford & Simpson, David Sanborn, and Kenny Burrell. He has served as music director for GRAMMY® Award-winning gospel artists, including The Clark Sisters, Richard Smallwood, Donnie McClurkin, Hezekiah Walker, Marvin Sapp, Karen Clark Sheard, Kim Burrell and Kierra Sheard. He also served as musical director for season four of Sunday Best, Black Entertainment Television’s (BET) hit gospel singing competition show.

ANGELA BROWN soprano Angela Brown personifies the ideal soprano: sheer vocal power; luxurious finesse; and shimmering, high pianissimos. With a personality larger than life, she unites opera, pops, and gospel in one sensational voice.

While opera is the main catalyst for her career, Angela’s performance experience includes everything from star hostess on stage to producer and creator of Opera…from a Sistah’s Point of View, an inspired show that has gained international notoriety for bringing opera to the masses in the form of a sassy, yet educational, concert presentation. Angela currently stars as Addie Parker in Charlie Parker’s YARDBIRD, and previously appeared with Opera Philadelphia in roles such as Bess in Porgy and Bess, Cilla in Margaret Garner, Elisabetta in Don Carlo, and Leonora in Il trovatore.

WILL LIVERMAN baritone Praised by The New York Times as “mellow-voiced and charismatic” and Opera News for his “noble sound and bearing,” baritone Will Liverman creates the role of Dizzy Gillespie in Charlie Parker’s YARDBIRD. A member of Opera Philadelphia’s Emerging Artists Program, Will has also performed with Minnesota Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Wolf Trap Opera this season. His first solo recording, Okpebholo: Steal Away, a compilation of reimagined spirituals, has just been released by Yellow Einstein Records.