NEC Song Lab: Wade in the Water - An Evening of African American Spirituals
"Wade in the Water: An Evening of African American Spirituals,” is a concert event featuring performers from a number of different departments at NEC celebrating a breadth of expression of the spirituals in a variety of genres: song, choral, piano, string trio and R&B. Performers include Dr. Oral Moses, Daon Drisdom, the NEC R&B ensemble directed by Farayi Malek, Trio Gaia, Marie-Elise Boyer, and graduate student singers and pianists from Song Lab and the theory course, “African American Spirituals, Context and Analysis.” Featured composers include: Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Florence Price, John Wesley Work, William Dawson, Hall Johnson, Uzee Brown, Margaret Bonds, the Staple Singers, and Harry T. Burleigh.
A novel approach to vocal studies, Song Lab focuses on the repertoire, interpretation and performance of art songs.
Through intertwined courses and guest lectures that enhance the creative process, students immerse themselves in the languages and histories of art song, develop their individual approaches, and learn to lead their own productions of song recitals on both traditional concert platforms and the digital stage.
Intellectually curious singers and collaborative pianists who seek a well-rounded approach and a chance to dive deep will find fertile ground for building exceptional musicianship, a personal artistic point of view, and a career of one’s own.
Song Lab is open by audition to NEC graduate singers in the DMA, MM, AD, and GD programs.
arr. Staples Singers | Wade in the Water
NEC R&B Ensemble
Adrian Chabla, Ruochen Maggie Zang, Changrong Yannick Yan, voice
Kaia Berman Peters, voice, accordion
Haoyu Zheng, voice, piano
Kaitlyn Knudsvig, violin
Hayley Yu Qin, cello, voice
Thatcher Harrison, guitar
Skyler Lim, piano
Karl Henry, bass
Jiangcheng Jeff Guan, drums
Farayi Malek, directorarr. Harry T. Burleigh | Deep River
Artists- Oral Moses, bass-baritone
- Cameron Stowe, piano
- Tanya Blaich, piano
Florence B. Price | Song to the Dark Virgin
Artists- Oral Moses, bass-baritone
- Cameron Stowe, piano
- Tanya Blaich, piano
arr. Uzee Brown, Jr. | Gonna Shout All Over God’s Heaven
Artists- Oral Moses, bass-baritone
- Cameron Stowe, piano
- Tanya Blaich, piano
Florence B. Price | Fantasie Nègre
Artists- Marie-Elise Boyer, piano
arr. Hall Johnson | His Name So Sweet
Artists- Alexandra Henderson, soprano
- Sepehr Davalloukhoungar, piano
Uzee Brown, Jr. | This River
Artists- Benedict Hensley, baritone
- James Lorusso, piano
Robert Owens | Genius Child from Mortal Storm
Artists- Hyungjin Son, baritone
- Michael Banwarth, piano
arr. Margaret Bonds | Lord, I Just Can’t Keep from Crying
Artists- Chihiro Asano, mezzo-soprano
- Sepehr Davalloukhoungar, piano
arr. Hall Johnson | Ride On, King Jesus!
Artists- Josie Larsen, soprano
- Michael Banwarth, piano
Samuel Coleridge Taylor
Sometime I Feel Like a Motherless Child
They Will Not Lend Me a ChildArtists- (Trio Gaia) Grant Houston, violin
- Yi=Mei Templeman, cello
- Andrew Barnwell, piano
arr. Lena J. McLin | Hold Out Your Light
Artists- Daon Drisdom '20 MM, tenor
- Cameron Stowe, piano
- Tanya Blaich, piano
H. Leslie Adams | Prayer from Nightsongs
Artists- Daon Drisdom, tenor
- Cameron Stowe, piano
- Tanya Blaich, piano
Hall Johnson | Ain’t Got Time to Die
Artists- Daon Drisdom, tenor
- Cameron Stowe, piano
- Tanya Blaich, piano
arr. John W. Work | You May Bury Me in the East
Residency Choir
Chihiro Asano
Michael Banwarth
Tanya Blaich
Marie-Elise Boyer
Donovan Bown
Sepehr Davalloukhoungar
Alexandra Henderson
Benedict Hensley
Shannon Johnson
Juliette Kaoudji
Mathew Lanning
Josie Larsen
Michael Lewis
Shalun Li
Pualina Lim
James Lorusso
Lingbo Ma
Margaret Malone
Jimin Park
Yu Qin
Mara Riley
Felicia Sandler
Olivia Sheehy
Hyungjin Son
Leigh Wilson
Yi Yao
Shiyu ZhuoArtists- Daon Drisdom, tenor
- Calvin Wamser, conductor
arr. William L. Dawson | Ev’ry Time I Feel the Spirit
Residency Choir
Chihiro Asano
Michael Banwarth
Tanya Blaich
Marie-Elise Boyer
Donovan Bown
Sepehr Davalloukhoungar
Alexandra Henderson
Benedict Hensley
Shannon Johnson
Juliette Kaoudji
Mathew Lanning
Josie Larsen
Michael Lewis
Shalun Li
Pualina Lim
James Lorusso
Lingbo Ma
Margaret Malone
Jimin Park
Yu Qin
Mara Riley
Felicia Sandler
Olivia Sheehy
Hyungjin Son
Leigh Wilson
Yi Yao
Shiyu ZhuoArtists- Oral Moses, bass-baritone
- Maggie Storm, conductor