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2008-2009 Season
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Nathaniel Dett Chorale Monday, October 6, 2008  The Nathaniel Dett Chorale is one of the foremost professional choral groups dedicated to Afrocentric music of all styles. These twenty-one classically trained, outstanding vocalists have shared the stage with internationally recognized artists, such as Juno Award-winning jazz pianist, Joe Sealy; opera star, Kathleen Battle and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra; the Signal Hill Alumni Choir of Tobago, West Indies; and the Concert Choir of Hampton University, Virginia. The Chorale has also performed at events honouring world leaders Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Muhammad Ali. These multifaceted vocalists, whose talent stretches beyond the traditional expectations of a classical chamber choir, seek to broaden their vision to include all styles and genres of music, from classical to jazz, folk, blues and popular music as appropriate to the traditions of the African Diaspora. The Nathaniel Dett Chorale’s vision is to build bridges of understanding, appreciation, and acceptance between communities of people, both Afrocentric and other, through the medium of music. The Chorale seeks to dissolve the barriers of stereotype, to empower humans in general, and those of African descent in particular. The Chorale’s mission is to be a premier performer of Afrocentric composers (past, present and future), and to be a touchstone for the education of audiences and communities regarding the full spectrum of Afrocentric choral music. Founder, Brainerd Blyden-Taylor named The Chorale after internationally-renowned African-Canadian composer R. Nathaniel Dett (1882-1943), who performed at prestigious concert halls such as Carnegie Hall and Boston Symphony Hall. Blyden-Taylor established the Chorale to draw attention not only to Dett’s legacy, but also to the wealth of Afrocentric choral music. Since its inception in 1998, The Nathaniel Dett Chorale has honoured the memory of its namesake, performing a jubilant and uplifting repertoire extensively around the world. In November 2002, The Nathaniel Dett Choraleproudly released its first CD, Listen to the Lambs, an historic first commercial recording of choral works of R. Nathaniel Dett. February 2003 saw the release of Gemini Award-Winning Carry Me Home: The Story & Music of The Nathaniel Dett Chorale, a documentary celebrating this unique ensemble and their place in Canada’s musical spectrum which, along with a concert film based on The Nathaniel Dett Chorale’s An Indigo Christmas concert, were released on DVD in 2004. A live CD of An Indigo Christmas was previously released in 2003. In addition to their own concert series at the Toronto Center for the Arts during the 2006-2007 season, the Chorale performed at the Algoma Festival in Sault-Saint Marie, Ontario and in the United States at Calvin College, The Cathedral Church of Saint Paul Detroit, Central Michigan University, Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist Cleveland, Saint Bart’s New York, Dance Theatre of Harlem, The University of Michigan, Bucknell University, Albion College, Howard University and The Library of Congress in Washington DC. |
