Past Featured Events

Common Roots: An Evening of Spirituals, Ballads & Soul

(The Unplugged Concert)

Saturday, February 25th, 2023

4:00pm to 5:30pm

Church Of The Incarnation Manhattan

209 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016, USA

Join the Plattsburgh State Gospel Choir for an evening of an historical musical reenactment of spirituals, inspirational ballads, and folk music at the Church of the Incarnation Manhattan. Common Roots displays the music of the hard working man and woman and their families. Works by Charles Tindley, Thomas Dorsey, James Cleveland, Edward & Walter Hawkins, Raymond Wise and others will be presented. Common Roots concerts are performed with only piano, minimal percussion and upright bass and the human voices.

Albeit recognizable to arguably every American citizen and many through-out the world, the negro-spirituals historical roots have yet to be completely formally accepted and studied. An historical presentation of this genre in song, dance and spoken word, will shed light on this rarely appreciated American art form. From the pioneers of gospel music such as Tindley and Dorsey, to the everlasting works of James Cleveland and the Hawkins, right up until contemporary artists such as Kirk Franklin and Mary/Mary, the Plattsburgh State Gospel Choir along with invited directors, composers and soloists will recreate, in one evening, the musical tranquility of hope in the shadow of despair for generations of slaves and their descendants.

The choir will present one of Raymond Wise's concert spiritual, "No Matter What". Dr. Wise is no stranger to SUNY Plattsburgh. He was the guest conductor for two prior Common Roots concerts and workshops. "No Matter What" addresses the struggle that many slaves endured trying to find value in their very existence beyond the horrific slave culture. Additionally the choir will also present "Something Inside So Strong". This selection written by Labi Siffre in 1987 was inspired by the injustice of black South Africans during Apartheid. Like many other great works, "Something Inside so Strong" is universal and transcends time. A spiritual classic, "Swing Low", will be presented by the phenomenal Voices of Faith. The common roots of this selection and others will be shared to the audience by Janice Tobin.

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The SUNY Plattsburgh Praise Dancers and Steppers will also give powerful presentations to remind us just how strong the human spirit must have been for so many forced into a life of endless struggle. Nevertheless, the slave found a way to rise up and keep their hopes and dreams high.