RICHTON PARK, ILL.—(ENEWSPF)–February 21, 2016– “Walk Together Children—An Artistic Journey,” was the theme of a special evening tonight at Southland College Prep Charter High School to celebrate Black History Month.
The Southland family—parents, students, faculty, administrators and community members– came together to celebrate the men, women and events of Black History in an evening that featured a series of concurrent events by the new school’s chorus, dance, band and its guitar group.
Audience members moved from the school’s main rotunda, to its Commons and Board rooms and Dance Gallery to see and hear the performances.
Fine art, created by Southland students on the theme of Black History, was displayed throughout the three-story school building in hallways and gathering spaces as other pieces were created live in a variety of media by student artists.
“ We are blessed in our society today that so many talented artists from a wide spectrum of genres have preserved and protected African cultural traditions which have blended with American cultural expressions in dance, music, art and literature. This special evening at Southland College Prep offered us a fine opportunity to demonstrate how much we value, honor and celebrate these important contributions of Black History to the American way of life,” said Dr. Blondean Davis, CEO.
Southland’s Dance group, under the director of Gloria Chatman presented an “African American History Journey through Dance” in a series of ensemble and solo performances of contemporary and classical ballet and modern dance. The evening’s repertoire included, “I Believe” and “Royalty” both by Mali Music; “I am Changing” by Jennifer Hudson; “We Love You” by J. Moss; and “Black Butterfly” by Denise Williams.
Southland’s 55-voice Chorus under the direction of Dr. Stirling Culp, performed in the school’s rotunda and its Board Room with a repertoire of Gospel, spiritual and cabaret music that included such favorites as, “ Were You There,” “ Walk Together Children” and “Sweet Home Chicago.”
Under the direction of Joseph Lawrence, the Southland College Prep Band performed such memorable and moving pieces as “A Quiet Journey Home, based on an old African-American spiritual, “ His Eye on the Sparrow,” a piece that reflects how overcoming adversity and affirming one’s faith can help a person come to grips with all of life’s trials and tribulations.
Other favorites of the evening were, “Overcome,” a stirring arrangement of the civil rights struggle song, “We Shall Overcome” and “Roots,” from the memorable television program based on Alex Haley’s novel that traced the life of a slave captured in Africa to his third generation descendant, the author himself.
Other band selections were, “Glory,” the score from the film, “Selma,” about the civil rights marches of 1965 and “Let My People Go,” a Spiritual that has become part of modern Passover Seders, whose lyrics reference the Biblical exodus of the Jews from Egypt who were enslaved under the Pharaoh, not unlike African-American slaves.
Southland’s band also played a spirited rendition of “When the Saints Go Marching In,” a piece originally performed at New Orleans religious ceremonies and funerals that is the quintessential example of how some ‘sacred’ music has been transformed into the ‘secular’ music genre.
Source: Southland College Prep Charter High School
