hi, all.
sunday afternoon, i was treated to an evening of spirituals performed by
some of the local (washington, dc) talent, including a choir from duke
ellington school of the arts--elijah has rarely rocked better 8-), plus
the presence of mrs. sylvia olden lee.
for the most part, the program was very enjoyable. however, something
bothered me. one of the singers seemed to feel that her exaggerated
gestures and body movements were a necessary part of her performance.
after finally adjusting her shawl--which took most of her first selection
to do, she threw her arms out and swung her hips in what i presume was an
effort to "get into the music."
the audience ate it up. all i could do was close my eyes and try to
simply listen.
maybe it's just me, but what i saw was far more reminiscent of musical
theatre than spirituals performance. it's not the first time something
like this has been staged. a couple of years ago, i watched a choir
mangle a song by trying to perform it with choreography.
maybe i'm being unrealistic, but i do not believe these songs are
well-served by attempting to "popularize" them. i've always regarded
spirituals as a deeply personal expression, a private communication in
song, even when performed on a concert stage. i keep any gestures simple
and understated and let my voice do the rest.
what do you think?
randye
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