Friday, March 8, 2024
The American Spiritual Ensemble
Live from St. John’s
On Sunday, April 7 at 3:00pm, St. John’s Concerts On The Hill Series will play proud host to the world-renowned choir, The American Spiritual Ensemble for an historic Portsmouth premiere concert.
We are excited to announce that you may now purchase advance tickets online, and we are meeting all of our financial and partnership goals! We are so grateful for the support from individuals and organizations alike, including the NH Diocese Commission on Reparations, which awarded us a grant and bolstered our funding.
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE ADVANCE TICKETS ONLINE
St. John’s Episcopal Church presents The American Spiritual Ensemble live in concert at 3pm on Sunday, April 7, 2024.
The American Spiritual Ensemble (ASE), whose mission is to preserve and continue the tradition of storytelling through the performance and preservation of the American Negro Spiritual, was founded in 1995 by Dr. Everett McCorvey who remains Artistic Director and Conductor of the choir.
In the spring of 2023, St. John’s was invited to be part of a team of cultural organizations and arts difference-makers in our region to help bring ASE to New England for a spring tour. When we were brought into this conversation, ASE had commitments from two other venues, but needed a third, and we felt strongly that our community could raise enough funds to afford the considerable artists’ fee. We are excited and relieved to report that we have met our financial goals and have turned our sights on strategic partnerships to elevate and amplify our event. Please email Olin Johannessen if you have any interest in learning more about how to support this project.
This event will also feature in-person presence from thought leaders and organizations within our community who are working tirelessly to amplify and elevate issues of justice and representation, and attendees will have an opportunity to visit with them in our own Roberts Hall before and after the performance.
““Performing these spirituals serves as a tribute to the many lives lost or destroyed during slavery in the United States; a horrible time for human kind. These songs, a combination of African, American, and European traditions, create a new type of melody in which a sense of identification was created within the enslaved community. These songs, beloved all around the world, now stand as a testament of the strength found through faith during times of hardship as well as a unifying force among all peoples.””
We have been given an opportunity to bring this light into our community though the artistry and story telling of this world-class choir whose mission of preserving and performing American Negro Spirituals fills a widening deficiency in the truth-telling of our nation’s complicated history through these sung narratives.
Please visit our website to learn more about The American Spiritual Ensemble and plan your visit to see and hear them Live In Concert for the first time in the beautiful and warm acoustic space of our historic sanctuary at St. John's.