Upon These Shoulders

During the month of January, we celebrate the legacy of one of the most instrumental and influential figures of the Civil Rights movement, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His contributions to the movement inspired others to join him in the fight against racial inequality.

Choral Arts Link, Fisk University and Intersection CME (Contemporary Music Ensemble) are pleased to announce their partnership to acknowledge the leaders who stood with Dr. King during the Civil Rights movement with a new concert in January 2017.

Upon These Shoulders is a concert experience that will encompass song, orchestra, spoken word, and art to convey the trials and tribulations of yesterday, today and tomorrow and depict the evolution of the arts’ role to express needs, heal broken conversations, and build stronger communities. The program will be held on the campus of  Fisk University (1000 17^th Ave. North, Nashville, TN) on Thursday, January 12^th at the Carl Van Vechten Art Gallery for the Pre-concert event 5:30 – 6:30, and full concert at Fisk Memorial Chapel at 7pm.

Performers include CAL’s MET Singers, Intersection CME led by former Associate Conductor of the Nashville Symphony and Conductor of the Nashville Symphony Chorus Kelly Corcoran,  The Fisk Jubilee Singers, Dave Ragland’s Diaspora, Tyler Samuel- Soprano, spoken word artist, Cedric Dent Jr.,  local Freedom Rider Rip Patton, and more.

This collaborative effort will highlight local unsung heroes of the civil rights movement, as well as honor Dr. King’s leadership as spokesperson during this era and share current voices leading the way today. Artists will perform various genres of music conveying the historical context of early 20^th century works of art in the pre-concert event in the Carl Van Vechten Art Gallery. Combining the art and sounds from the past and present will help attendees visualize the work of persons that orchestrated strategies, held meetings and sought resources as the vehicle of our nation’s greatest social demonstration.

The program will include two parts; a pre-concert event will consist of mini-performances by the MET Singers and Intersection CME while attendees have the opportunity to tour the art gallery. A full concert will consist of artistic tributes in song and in spoken word.

During the pre-concert, attendees will receive and educational experience through audio and visual works of art. As you tour the art gallery, performers will engage the audience with the history of the art and artist accompanied by instrumentation and a full performance of the work of art. The blending of art and sound connects the past to the present and inspires a new generation to continue fighting social inequality. Join us at 5:30 pm at the Carl Van Vechten Art Gallery located on the campus of Fisk University (see map below) for this one-of-a-kind experience.

For more information on the Carl Van Vechten Art Gallery click here.

The blue star represents the Carl Van Vechten Art Gallery, where we will host our pre-concert
The green star represents the Fisk Memorial Chapel, where we will host the full concert.
The P represents parking lots accessible to attendees.

Voices of Today

7pm

Fisk University and Intersection are pleased to continue their partnership that began in January 2017 with the Upon These Shoulders concert experience. Voices of Today is a part of Fisk’s annual Spring Arts Festival and will be held on the campus of Fisk University (1000 17^th Ave. North, Nashville, TN) on Wednesday, April 5 at Fisk Memorial Chapel at 7pm. 

African American music has long been moderately included in choral repertoire, but the introduction and inclusion of African Americans’ cultural legacy by its own composers has just become more widely available and performed in the last 50 years. As a signature program of CAL, the MET Singers’ repertoire journey has always included a choral spectrum of world cultures, historical time periods and our national Americana choral heritage. From the transcriptions of Negro spirituals by John Wesley Work, III comes a legacy of the a cappella beginnings sown in the soil of this country, to the many choral genres that have evolved during the 20th century, and is now exploding into the 21st. There is a tapestry of vocal styles that share the many hues and stories of African Americans.

“Voices of Today is a cultural representation of the landscape of musicians, composers, conductors and singers whose work that many are not familiar with,” said Margaret Campbelle-Holman, executive director of CAL. “This program will connect the audience with a broader perspective and increase their knowledge of the diverse musicians that we’ve found all over the world.”

Parents, the latest information about upcoming events as well as protocols and procedures can be found in the MET Singers Dropbox Folder. See the file MET Parent MEMO, with the most recent date, for the latest news.

The MET Singers is the signature program of Choral Arts Link (CAL). CAL’s mission is to is to preserve a tradition and discipline of choral development by providing children the opportunity to develop leadership skills, to enhance their education, and to grow artistically and professionally. Music training bridges the gap to any divide and provides a variety of opportunities for students, teachers, parents and the greater community.

Margaret Campbelle-Holman, Founder and Artistic Director, has been teaching children and teachers for over 40 years. Her vision has always included assisting children to learn and improve their overall quality of life through music. “Music is the one ‘language’ that allows all walks of life to communicate, discover and grow,” says Campbelle-Holman, whose mission became apparent early on in her career: to provide choral arts opportunities and integrated learning to any child.

Learn more about CAL, Inc., our students and instructors as we continue to provide creative arts links within the communities we serve.

Thank you for visiting our site and return periodically for updates this season.