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Atlanta Music Festival Concert

Poster for 2010 Concert

Promo of 2009 by Critic Pierre Ruhe - Music Festival Concert

Music Festival Concert 2009 Printed Program

Renowned musician-minister Dwight Andrews will lead a concert dedicated to intercultural understanding and peace in a tradition begun by his church, First Congregational Church UCC, nearly 100 years ago. This program of music by African American composers, performed by artists of several races, will be held Sunday, May 16 at 4:00 PM in First Church Commons. The program will include vocal and instrumental offerings by leading Georgia musicians. Choral offerings will be given by the Meridian Chorale, led by Steven Darsey supported by the Chancel Choir of First Congregational Church, conducted by Norma Raybon. There is no admission charge; a free-will offering will be taken.

First Congregational Church Commons is at, 125 Ellis Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30303

In 1910, First Congregational Church, under the guidance of then pastor Henry Hugh Proctor, began annual musical concerts titled the Atlanta Colored Music Festival. These concerts were begun with several objectives. One was to provide world-class concerts that blacks were permitted to attend, as they had been prohibited from attending Atlanta's gala Opera Week. Another reason was to advance race relations by showing the white community the high cultural attainments of blacks and, by inviting the white community as well, encouraging interracial comity. In the wake of Atlanta's 1906 race riot, these concerts were one of the many initiatives by Proctor and First Church to discourage violence and advance respect among the races.

In its initial years, the festival included performances by nationally renowned African American musicians and were signal musical-social events for blacks and whites.

This year's Atlanta Music Festival, sponsored by First Congregational Church and Meridian Herald, is led by Dwight Andrews, Proctor's current successor pastor. Continuing the spirit of the Atlanta Colored Music Festival, this concert will present a variety of music by African American composers through performers of various races with the aim of advancing respect among the races via the art of music.

Dwight Andrews is a renowned composer, jazz artist, scholar and pastor. An Associate Professor of Music at Emory University, his composition credits include collaboration with August Wilson for the Broadway production of his plays, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Joe Turner's Come and Gone, The Piano Lesson, and Seven Guitars. Mr. Andrews’s works appear in many films and recordings. He is the recipient of numerous prizes and has given lecture series at Yale and Harvard. With his Ph.D. in music theory and divinity degrees from Yale, and his vocation as pastor and musician, Andrews is uniquely gifted to bring theology to life through music. For more information on Dr. Andrews, please see http://www.music.emory.edu/faculty/andrews.html

Meridian Herald is honored to participate in this project with Dwight Andrews and First Congregational Church. For more information, please see our web site – www.meridianherald.org or call 404 525 4722.

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