Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Ebenezer Baptist Church Reunite

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Ebenezer Baptist Church had previously enjoyed a protracted and successful partnership. However, he fell to the margins, until the accidental meeting of the present senior pastor Ebenezer, senator Raphael Warnock and the manager director of the orchestra, Jennifer Barliament, He brought them back to the community.

According to Barliament and Reverend Warnock, they fell into one another within the Woodruff Arts Center, once within the autumn of 2024.

When the Barliament tells the story, Varnock’s love for music and art allowed the Church and the orchestra to listen to in a dormant relationship.

“I said,” Hey, a Reverend warning, nice to satisfy you “and introduced yourself,” she remembered in the shop through the interview earlier in January. “And one thing led to another. We just had a really nice conversation about music and how much he loves music, how great acoustics in Ebenezer is and how the orchestra and the Church had this relationship in the past. And so he said: “Well, go down, let’s do something together.”

According to the musician and pedagogue, Dr. Patrice Turner, the director of the cult in Ebenezer Baptist Church, most of them are aware of the history of Ebenezer within the context of social justice, but fewer people know in regards to the wealthy musical heritage of the Church.

“People know that Ebenezer is home to social justice,” said Turner. “They know about the great proclamation that happened in this church, but they do not necessarily realize that the richness of musical production and art appeared from Ebenezer. And so this specific concert reflects it. “

Morehouse College Alum Carlos Simon, a composer whose work is included within the Turner survey within the history of music specially created to cooperate between the orchestra and the Church, said that he hopes that his music can encourage more composers to comment on social justice.

“I think that more composers have the courage to talk about what is happening in the world, whether it’s politics or socio -economic problems, and settled in music,” said Simon. “And so that cultural awareness happens, and people, hopefully, members of the audience, will go away and say:” WOW, I had no idea, , it happened “or” I had no idea about this segment of the Black Church segment. Let me conduct research. Let me understand, perhaps go to church, and visit. So I believe there’s far more emphasis on reflecting our society. “

Reverend Dr. Bernice King, general director of King Center and the youngest child of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. And Coretta Scott King, discussed this yr’s topic of insights about her father’s heritage “Mission possible”, with just a few days, with just a few days after recording the concert on January 4.

The concert might be watched via GPB.org, starting on January 20.

“It is possible that we can continue to cultivate and protect freedom, justice and democracy,” said King, “If we adapt to my father’s teachings, without violence, and not just to consider. “