Purchase Soul Voices—a premier 60-student vocal ensemble—will present “Stand!”, a free concert open to the public, on Feb. 25, 2014 at 7:00 p.m., at the Recital Hall in the Music Building at Purchase College–SUNY (735 Anderson Hill Road). In an inspiring celebration of Black History Month, the show will feature a mix of musical genres including spirituals, gospel, soul, rhythm and blues, funk, and jazz.
Created by Pete Malinverni, head of the jazz studies program at Purchase, Soul Voices is open to all students and draws participants from all majors. The idea was conceived as Malinverni realized that, in his work with the jazz studies program, he was seeing only a part of the talent pool on campus. Seven years ago, he founded Soul Voices and a great campus tradition was born.
Malinverni explains, “Soul Voices is a group as diverse as Purchase College itself, with singers from all backgrounds and majors united by a shared mission—to explore and celebrate the music of the African-American experience.”
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Malinverni, who has been teaching in Purchase College’s Conservatory of Music since 1999, draws inspiration for the group from his 18 years as Minister of Music at the predominantly African-American Devoe Street Baptist Church in Brooklyn. This year, the Soul Voice concerts will pay tribute to the 50th anniversary of the march on Washington and the civil rights movement by featuring songs of the era.
“This is a special year for Soul Voices, commemorating the 50th anniversary of such a watershed event in the civil rights movement,” says Malinverni. “Music was a major force in the civil rights movement, and we are thrilled to be tapping into that spirit.”
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In addition to the February performance, Soul Voices will present two other concerts this spring:
--March 5, 2014, 4:30 p.m.
Neuberger Museum of Art
The Choir will perform peace and protest music from the Vietnam War era, as part of the Neuberger’s exhibit of Cleve Gray’s massive work, Threnody
--April 22, 2014, 7:00 p.m.
Recital Hall, Music Building
“People Get Ready!” the Soul Voices Spring Concert
For more information, please visit: http://www.purchase.edu/Archive/News.aspx?NID=4967
