“The Negro Spirituals are … the most beautiful expression of human experience born this side of the seas.”

(Jefferson Cleveland & William McClain,  A Historical Account of the Negro Spiritual in the hymnal SONGS OF ZION. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1981)

There is a body of American sacred songs commonly called Negro spirituals.  These songs express – both in their words and in the way they are performed musically – the deep religious feelings of the African-American people.  They are an important part of the American cultural heritage, and are now recognized globally as anthems to liberty that can feed the deepest aspirations of the human soul.

The great majority of Negro spirituals are very old.  In a lot of cases the tunes and rhythms are so ancient we can trace them back to Africa, the homeland of Black Americans who were brought to the United States long ago in slavery.  The English words of the earliest known Negro spirituals are taken from passages of the Holy Bible, using scriptural themes to tell about the grief and trials of slaves, and to voice their hope for deliverance or rest.  Later on, elements of the natural world as well as events from the communal and personal religious experiences of African-Americans provided more material for the texts of songs.

The spirituals are a library of sorts. By studying them, it is possible to gain a wealth of information and insight into the historical, social, and religious development of African slaves and their descendants who have journeyed within the United States over the decades and centuries. Negro spirituals have had their home in cotton fields, work camps, churches, meeting rooms, and recital halls. They contributed to the birth of various types of popular music such as gospel, jazz and blues, to the financial support of Black colleges and other institutions, to the folklore of social struggles including the civil rights movement, and to the uplift of outstanding African-American musicians and singers worldwide. The opera community is historically linked to the promotion of such artists.

Clearly, what gives Negro spiritual songs their power is the way in which they invite the human voice to add contour, rhythm, texture, melody, tempo, variation, and emotional depth to words. The African-American experience resonates within and all through them.  They have been preserved over time, and developed/redeveloped both in a distinctive choral form and in a characteristic style arranged for performance by the non-amplified solo voice with piano accompaniment.  In the United States we cannot seem to get enough of Negro spirituals; contemporary composers, arrangers and vocalists continue to explore and enliven this unique genre.  The “Negro Spiritual” Scholarship Foundation is dedicated to carrying on this tradition by preserving and developing sacred music in the same richly idiomatic vein as part of a heritage which is rooted in the American South.

Here for your enjoyment is a sampling of music from the November 6th song recital at the residence of Joseph and Evelyn Cleveland. It features one selection by 2011 GRADY-RAYAM PRIZE Winner Frank Humphrey, followed by a group of Negro spirituals sung by tenor Timothy Miller.

‘Suitable Airs’ XIII

Thank you!  Thank you! Thank you!

What a great event we had on Sunday 2nd of October at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church. We especially want to thank the following supporters, without whom our success would not have been possible:

Orlando Magic
Care America
United Arts of Central Florida

Bank of America
Barbara Greene
Broad and Cassel
BSA – Central Florida Council
C. Andrew Coomes
Care America
Carolyn LimQuee
Charles W Davis Jr
Christopher Wilkins
City of Orlando
Costa DeVault
Craig W. Bethel
Deede Sharpe & John Parker
Dennis L Wesley
Dorothy T. Johnson
Evan Allen
John B. Soebbing
Joseph Cleveland
Junie C. Monroe
Lamont Jackson
Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church
Marquita Lister
Max S. Watzman
Mayflower Retirement Community
Michael P. Sampson
Millicent Barimo
Parimal Maniar
Phyllis Wesley
Sazi Construction, Inc
Steven Brint

Thank you again for your support and patronage!!!

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15th Annual World-Premiere Gala

Underwriting Sponsors
The following have extended major gifts to assist in underwriting this event:

Mr. & Mrs. Craig Bethel
Bright House Networks
Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Cleveland

Corporate & Individual Patrons
The following are corporate purchase patrons for this gala event:

Bank of America
Bright House Networks
Broad and Cassel
CareAmerica
Carlton Fields, P.A.
City Of Orlando
Darden Restaurants
Foley & Lardner
Eunice Roberts
Health Central
JCB Construction
Junie Monroe
Kenneth Airy
Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church
M&S Enterprises
Select Performance
SunTrust
ZeroChaos

Gala Friends
The following sponsoring individuals and corporations have
contributed funding or services directly in support of this evening’s World-Premiere event:

Dorothy T. Johnson Guild
Central Florida Framing
Community Foundation of Central Florida
Jacque Photo
Loews Portofino Bay Hotel
Olive Garden
Peabody  Orlando
Steinway Piano Galleries

Thank you + Thank you + Thank you + Thank you

Here is the Music Player. You need to installl flash player to show this cool thing!

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‘Suitable Airs’ XII

Thank you!  Thank you! Thank you!

What a great event we had on Sunday 3rd of October at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church. We especially want to thank the following supporters, without whom our success would not have been possible:

Orlando Magic

Care America
Health Central
United Arts of Central Florida

Bank of America
Craig & Suzie Bethel
BROAD & CASSEL
Joseph & Evelyn Cleveland
City of Orlando
Darden Restaurants
JCB Construction
John & Rita Lowndes Family Fund
M&S Enterprises of Orlando
Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church
Dr. Evan Allen & Denise Johnson-Allen
Jean Butler
Dorothy T. Johnson
Audrey Reicherts
Junior C. Thrower
Dr. Max S. Watzman
Karen Wesley
Maestro Christopher Wilkins
Dorothy T. Johnson Guild
E-Z Rent-A-Car, Inc
Jewish Family Services of Greater Orlando
THE MAYFLOWER
Scot Aurelius with MOORE, STEPHENS, LOVELACE
Sazi Construction, Inc.
Trinity Preparatory School

Thank you again for your support and patronage!!!

]]> http://www.negrospiritual.org/news-showcase/feed 0 http://www.negrospiritual.org/here-now http://www.negrospiritual.org/here-now#comments Wed, 19 Jan 2011 19:30:43 +0000 NSSF http://www.negrospiritual.org/?p=792 The Board of Directors of
The “Negro Spiritual” Scholarship Foundation, Inc. and
Bright House Networks
cordially invite you to the
SIXTEENTH ANNUAL WORLD-PREMIERE GALA
to award the
2012 (Florida) GRADY-RAYAM PRIZE In Sacred Music

Music Recital

featuring World-Premiere Artist

mezzo-soprano, Krysty Swann

six o’clock in the evening
Saturday, the 10th of March 2012
Black Tie Formals
Tickets: $200.00 per person
(Seating for 240 guests)
Loews Portofino Bay Hotel
Universal Orlando Resort
5601 Universal Boulevard

2012 “NS”SF World-Premiere Gala Funding Options & Benefits can be found here.

Download registration and purchase order form by clicking here.

An Historical Sketch: This organization was founded in 1996 to ensure cultural preservation of a uniquely American genre of sacred music, and to provide a program of college tuition grant awards, music education and personal development mentorship for senior high school pupils. It began as essentially an all-volunteer operation, with first a Task Force, then a Board of Directors undertaking all the events and projects related to this program. The Community Foundation of Central served as an incubator for the startup of the agency. A rigorous program of competition in the singing of arranged Negro spiritual songs was the vehicle by which students could earn tuition assistance grants for college. The first competition was held in 1997, with awards presented during the first Annual Gala in February of the same year. At the time of its founding the organization served a population limited to nine counties in East Central Florida. Within three years of its inception, the program had come to the attention of the Florida Vocal Association, the Florida Music Educators Association, and officials of the State of Florida.  It was noted that this program demanded the highest level of technical achievement for the high school solo voice, and repeated requests were made by educators and parents beyond Central Florida that it be come more widely available. The GRADY-RAYAM PRIZE In Sacred Music competition subsequently became a statewide program in 2000.  In 2006 the Foundation launched a GRADY-RAYAM PRIZE In Sacred Music competition for the Mid-South region of the United States, including Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee.  2008 saw further expansion to the New England district (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont) and the Capital district (Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia), with a Southeast district (Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina) added in 2010. Today, the agency has an operating budget slightly in excess of $300,000, a diverse and committed Board of Directors, three full-time employees, one part-time bookkeeping consultant, an auxiliary volunteer organization, endowed funding vehicles in place for future stabilization, an alumni class of 49 awardees, and a national reputation for excellence in program delivery.

You can help by enrolling in our annual Funding Friend program. Visit our donations page to enroll and pay immediately using a credit/debit card. To pay by check please print out and mail in this pdf: Funding Friend Membership.pdf The Foundation is a 501(c) 3 non-profit agency, so your membership gift will be fully tax-deductible where allowed by law. Each Funding Friend will receive a free recording of music from our ‘Suitable Airs’ benefit concert.

Vocalists-on-Tour

The young singers who win a GRADY-RAYAM PRIZE become ambassadors for the “Negro Spiritual” Scholarship Foundation’s mission, and dedicate long hours to learning, studying, practicing, and performing on our behalf.  Proud as we are of their accomplishments, we are delighted whenever others can also experience and appreciate such extraordinary talent. Our touring program allows us to present our vocalists to audiences large and small in communities everywhere. They have made appearances in private homes, for convention or conference events, before civic groups, in church settings, for school programs, and with symphonies and choruses on concert stages. Presenting a GRADY-RAYAM PRIZE vocalist is one sure way to enhance your special gathering or event. To inquire about arranging for a tour appearance please contact our Music & Education Director at ewashington@negrospiritual.org.

The 2nd Sabbath/Sunday Spirituals Program

The “Negro Spiritual” Scholarship Foundation is working to secure the place of spirituals in our worship life while offering both educational and performance resources to member congregations. Our 2nd Sabbath/Sunday Spirituals program is very simple: Liturgical music planners at our member churches should include one Negro spiritual or more in the order of service on the second Sabbath or Sunday of each month, provided the scriptural references or liturgical themes make it appropriate to do so. We can assist you by supplying lists of titles and arrangements for solo and ensemble singing, by sharing information and suggestions about music that is appropriate for special times and occasions, by holding workshops with your musicians, or even making a visit to your congregation on occasion.

To print an application please click the pdf to the right.      2ndsabbath/sunday.pdf

Speakers/Presenters Bureau

The place of the Negro spiritual song in the history of America and in world culture is a topic of great fascination to many. Moving through time from the African continent to slavery’s cabins, fields and plantation houses, from church sanctuaries to the choir rooms of schools, from sing-ins at freedom marches to recitals on concert stages, the spiritual has brought along with it rich stories of the African-American experience. Speakers from our organization are available to share insight about the impact of this cultural and musical phenomenon with all audiences, using live or recorded music, memorable dialogue and helpful print materials. To inquire about arranging for a speaker/presenter please contact Rudolph Cleare at rucleare@negrospiritual.org.

You May:

Donate Items….
Microwave Oven
Copy Machine (with two-sided capability)
Electronic Calculator/Adding Machine
Electronic Stapler (industrial grade)
Sheet Music
- Arranged Spirituals (All Composers)
- Art Songs (Black Composers)
- Sacred Anthems (American Composers)
- Master Choruses (All Composers)
Audio Recordings (LP or CD)
- Arranged Spirituals (All Artists)

Underwrite Needs….
Work Stations (5 Computers with Monitors)

Volunteer Time/Service….
Board Membership
Clerical/Data Entry Help
Event Support (Artist Transportation, Meal Service etc.)
Competition Support (Student Monitor, Assistant to Judges/Accompanists etc.)
Mentoring Program Coordinator (This is an Internship possibility)

Please download, print and fill out an In-Kind Donation Form then
contact us directly via info@negrospiritual.org or by calling 407/877-NSSF(6773)
to arrange pick-up or delivery of items you wish to contribute.

Each year the foundation selects a musician with credentials in composition and arranging to receive a modified residency in conjunction with our competition for the GRADY-RAYAM PRIZE In Sacred Music. This residency commissions a musician to prepare a new arrangement of a traditional Negro spiritual for solo voice and piano delivered in high, medium, and low voice settings. The piece is to serve as the common audition work for all GRADY-RAYAM PRIZE competition entrants nationwide. (The composer/arranger is in residence in Central Florida on the final day of competition there to work with each finalist for their performance of the new work before judges, and must present an hour-long music mastery session for those students and an assembled audience.) A commissioned work is given its first performance by a reputable professional singer during our annual World-Premiere Gala, with the composer/arranger at the piano. A modest stipend ($1,000) is attached to this commissioning, along with transport, lodging, meals, and other amenities specific to each appearance. Contact Edward Washington II via e-mail: ewashington@negrospiritual.org to learn more about this opportunity.

World-Premiere Artists

A recital staged to present the Negro spiritual as arranged for solo voice and piano is one of the most enduring and beloved listening experiences in the world of classical music. During our annual World-Premiere gala event, the Foundation joins forces with makers of the famed Steinway piano to prepare a magical setting for just such an event. Our agency is committed to diverse interests when contracting with high-caliber vocal artists to headline these performances. We strive to present a wide range of tone qualities and performance styles to our audiences over a period of time. We seek to recognize some well-established professionals, and to introduce younger or newer artists as well. We relish singers who show great strength in their dramatic presence, or unusually fine interpretive skills. And we want our audiences to hear some hard-to-find voices of rare tonal quality: a truly sweet “Mozart” tenor, an authentic contralto, the elusive coloratura soprano or countertenor. Matched to a worthy accompanist and high-performance instrument, our world-premiere artists enchant selected audiences year after year. Their virtuosity only adds to our luster! Anyone with an interest in making a world-premiere appearance on our behalf should contact Edward Washington II via e-mail: ewashington@negrospiritual.org.

“NS”SF Master Singers

The “Negro Spiritual” Scholarship Foundation maintains its own choral unit consisting of trained voices who qualify by audition to participate in our Master Singers program.  Using a repertoire of arranged Negro spirituals and other selected master works, the Master Singers program offers its members performance/appearance opportunities along with intellectual stimulation, professional development, and musical growth.  The program is open to post-secondary singers of all ages and backgrounds.  Master Singers are paid for their service. Interested persons should contact Edward Washington II via e-mail: ewashington@negrospiritual.org to learn more about this opportunity.

Suitable Airs Feature Artists (Vocal)

Each year the Foundation selects a vocal artist to appear as the featured soloist on the program of ‘Suitable Airs’, our benefit concert of spirituals presented to the Central Florida community. This opportunity is often made available to younger pre-professional or newly-professional voices.  A singer is required to render a total of eight pieces entirely from memory, four of them being sung along with a backing choral unit. There is a stipend paid for this engagement, along with transport, lodging, meals, and other amenities specific to the appearance. Interested persons should contact Edward Washington II via e-mail: ewashington@negrospiritual.org to learn more about this opportunity.

Recital/Concert Accompanists (Piano)

The Foundation regularly engages skilled pianists to accompanists on recital and concert programs.  An instrumentalist wishing to be hired in this capacity must demonstrate fine keyboard skills, experience in accompanying vocalists, and a knowledge of/affinity for the arranged Negro spiritual song. A stipend is provided for each engagement. Interested persons should contact Edward Washington II via e-mail: ewashington@negrospiritual.org to learn more about this opportunity.