Spirituals, Hymns & Gospel Music

In residency are African American musicians at varying stages of their careers — undergraduate and graduate students, high school teachers and administrators, college and university professors, and church music ministers and clergy — all who are frequently featured in solo and ensemble performances of Western art music as well as the folk music of African Americans.

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Cheryl D. Clansy, Soprano

Ms. Clansy sings "Something Within" "Something Within"

Cheryl Clansy, a native of Los Angeles, earned a BM degree from Northeast Louisiana University, an MM degree from Midwestern State University, and an EdD from Grambling State University. A recognized scholar and performer, Clansy has garnered regional and national attention for her expertise in vocal and choral music. She can be heard as a featured soloist on recordings with the renowned countertenor Derek Lee Regan and both the Moses Hogan Chorale and Singers. She was the first-place winner in the National Association of Teachers of Singers competition, and received the Grady Harlan Award for professional promise. Clansy is the recipient of scholarships and fellowships for study in Austria, Egypt, and Cuba. In addition, she was appointed to the State of Louisiana Governor’s Pan American Commission and served in the grants review process for the State of Louisiana Division of the Arts and the United States Department of Education. Clansy has won numerous vocal competitions, including the Metropolitan Opera District and Regional Auditions. Clansy currently teaches in Houston and is a member of the Houston Symphony Chorus.

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Carolyn Coleman, Soprano

Carolyn Coleman, a native of Jackson, Mississippi, earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in marketing and business administration from Jackson State University. A winner of numerous awards and competitions, she has repeatedly captivated audiences with her warm and powerful voice. Her musical accomplishments include first-place awards in the 1991, 1992, 1994, and 1995 National Association of Teachers of Singers competition. She also has received awards from the Metropolitan Opera National Council. In the summer of 2002, she was awarded the William Warden Scholarship from the International School of Performing Arts in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. She has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Salzburg Festival, and throughout Germany with the Grace Bumbry Black Heritage Vocal Ensemble. Coleman also has performed as a soloist with the Leigh Morris Chorale and the Plymouth Music Series in the world premiere of Ties that Bind, with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra under Crafton Beck, and with the Greenville Symphony Orchestra under Theodore Wiltsie. Recently she performed the role of the Second Lady in The Magic Flute with Opera South.

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Damon H. Dandridge, Baritone-Tenor, Arranger

Damon Dandridge is currently the director of choral activities at Cheyney University in Cheyney, Pennsylvania. He holds a master of music degree in choral conducting from Florida State University and a bachelor of music education degree in choral music/voice from South Carolina State University with additional studies at Boston University. Dandridge has worked with some of the most influential African American composers of our time, including Brazeal Dennard, Roland Carter, André Thomas, and the late Moses Hogan. Dandridge’s choral arrangements have been acclaimed worldwide, including in the United States, Korea, Australia, and Italy, where his pieces have been featured at various festivals. He is a past winner of the National Association of Negro Musician’s Brantley Choral Arranging competition.

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Alphonzo Heath, Bass

Alphonzo Heath began his semiprofessional career while still in high school, accepting singing engagements close to his home near Chicago. He went on to earn a bachelor of music education degree from Jackson State University, where he studied under Robert Morris, and perfected his vocal talent with roles in such productions as Mozart’s Requiem and Porgy & Bess. He has since received several awards for excellence in vocal performance. Heath continues his connection with Morris through performances with the Leigh Morris Chorale. Heath and his wife, Barbara, are currently senior pastors of First Christian Church of Rockford, Illinois, and the founders of Advancing the Kingdom Ministries.

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Janese Lewis, Mezzo-Soprano

Janese Lewis is a senior vocal performance major at Jackson State University, where she studies with Phyllis Lewis-Hale. She is a member of Alpha Chi Honor Fraternity. She has performed as a soloist in Italy and Japan and throughout the United States, singing classical, gospel, and jazz repertoire. A native of Chicago, she is a first-place winner of the 2007 regional National Association of Teachers of Singers competition. She performed in the Opera South production of The Magic Flute in March 2007, and has performed as a soloist in many other Opera South productions. She is a member of the Jackson State University Chorale, Choir and Vocal Jazz Ensemble and is a section leader in the Chancel Choir at Covenant Presbyterian Church. She has held several positions in music ministry and has appeared in concert with numerous gospel recording artists. She holds a BA degree in business management from Ball State University.

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Anthony "Tony" Leach, Conductor, Accompanist, Arranger

Mr. Leach's arrangement of "Walk Together, Children" "Walk Together, Children"

Tony Leach, associate professor of music and music education at Pennsylvania State University, teaches courses in choral music education and is director and founder of one of the university’s choirs, Essence of Joy, which has performed at regional and national conventions. He also serves as minister of music and organist at New Bethel Baptist Church, in Washington, D.C., and as chair of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) Eastern Division Repertoire and Standards Committee on Ethnic and Multicultural Choirs. He holds a doctoral degree in music education and an MM degree in conducting from Penn State, and a BS degree in music education from Lebanon Valley College. Leach has presented seminars and workshops for numerous professional and music organizations.

Leach previously taught music in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York and his choirs have performed worldwide. He also has served as music consultant at the Maryland Summer Center for the Arts at Goucher College and has appeared as a guest conductor for choral festivals and workshops throughout the world. Leach was co-conductor of the 2004 World Youth Choir and has accompanied both the United Negro College Fund Choir and the Howard University Concert Choir. He is a past music director of the Capital Area Music Association in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and a past national chair of the ACDA’s Repertoire and Standards Committee on Multicultural and Ethnic Perspectives.

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Leah McRath, Mezzo-Soprano

Leah McRath is completing a master’s of music degree at Indiana University, where she studies with Alice Hopper and will soon pursue a doctorate in music literature. She has performed the role of Ms. Pinkerton in the ExArt production of The Old Maid and the Thief, which was broadcast live on WFIU radio in Bloomington, Indiana. She also has performed such roles as Ariadne in Ariadne auf Naxos, Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro, and Lady Billows in Albert Herring. She has performed with a number of orchestras in Georgia and Indiana, including the Columbus Philharmonic, Cobb Symphony, Columbus Symphony Orchestra, and the Ludwig Symphony Orchestra. McRath is looking forward to performing as Giulietta in Les Contes d'Hoffmann, her first role with the Indiana University Opera Theater.

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Robert L. Morris, Conductor, Accompanist, Composer

Mr. Morris' arrangement of "Fix Me, Jesus" "Fix Me, Jesus"

Robert Morris is founder and artistic director of the Leigh Morris Chorale, a Twin-Cities based community chorale whose “informances” educate audiences about African American classical and written choral music traditions. Morris holds degrees from DePaul University, Indiana University, and University of Iowa. He has conducted at Carnegie Hall, Orchestra Hall in Chicago, and Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis, among other national and international venues. He is an Arthur J. Schmitt Fellow, a member of Phi Delta Kappa, a life member of the American Choral Directors Association, and has served on the board of Chorus America. He was a participant in the Classical Music Seminars in Vienna and Eisenstadt, Austria. He has served numerous times as music consultant under the aegis of the Ecumenical Council of Churches of Cuba in its seminars titled Culture as an Agent of Social Change. He is a past director of choral activities at Winston-Salem State University, Jackson State University, and Macalester College.
Morris has been very influential in the field of African American music, with his contributions often cited in dissertations, theses, and books on the topic. His music has been performed and recorded by the Minnesota Chorale, Boys Choir of Harlem, Moses Hogan Singers, Dale Warland Singers, VocalEssence (formerly Plymouth Music Series), Nathaniel Dett Choir of Canada, the Leigh Morris Chorale, and in schools, colleges, and universities. He recently returned from Prague, where the Prague Symphony and soprano Louise Toppin recorded an orchestrated version of his Lyric Suite: Five Songs for Solo Voice.

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Brian M. Stratton, Tenor

Mr. Stratton sings "My God Is So High" "My God Is So High"

Brian Stratton, a native of New Orleans, received a BM degree in vocal and instrumental music performance from Loyola University, and has enjoyed a successful career as a concert artist and music educator. He currently is director of choral activities and digital music at South Hills High School, and director of the traditional choir, Holy Family Catholic Church, both in Fort Worth, Texas.
Stratton has been a staff member of the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts and Delgado Community College, and was a certified evaluator of gifted and talented children in the state of Louisiana. In 1988, he was a regional finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Auditions and has performed opera, concert recitals, Broadway reviews, and oratorio both in the United States and abroad, including four performances at the White House. Stratton was a longtime member and featured soloist with the Moses Hogan Chorale, and since 2003, has worked to promote Hogan’s and other composers’ arrangements of the Negro Spiritual in workshops, seminars, and choral clinics around the world.

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Rodney V. Vaughn, Tenor

Mr. Vaughn sings "Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen" "Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen"

Rodney Vaughn, a native of Jackson, Mississippi, has performed in Europe, Canada, and throughout the United States. He is a winner of the Mississippi Music Educators Association vocal competition, and has received several awards from the state and southern regions of the National Association of Teachers of Singers. He was a finalist in the Rose Palmai-Tenser Vocal Competition in Mobile, Alabama, a scholarship recipient to attend the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria, and a recipient of an Encouragement Award from the Metropolitan Opera National Council. Vaughn holds a BM degree in vocal performance and a master’s in music education from Jackson State University, where he studies under Richard Heard and Phyllis Lewis-Hale. He has recorded and appeared as a soloist with the Leigh Morris Chorale, the Moses Hogan Chorale, and the Grace Bumbry Vocal Heritage Ensemble. He has had lead roles with the Jackson State University Opera Theater, Opera South, and the Dallas Opera Project.

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ESSENCE of JOY
Anthony "Tony" Leach, Conductor

Essence of Joy sings "True Light" "True Light"

Essence of Joy is one of 10 choral ensembles at the Pennsylvania State University School of Music. Founded in 1991, the choir, comprised of both undergraduate and graduate students, performs sacred and secular music from the African/African American traditions. Annual performances include fall and spring concerts, “A Celebration of African American Spirituals,” and “Our Gift In Song.” Essence of Joy has performed throughout the United States, including the following special musical presentations:

• The James Weldon Johnson Society, Schomburg Museum, New York City
• Riverside Church Theatre, New York City
• The National Board of the NAACP
• Pennsylvania Music Educators Association
• The Eastern Division of the Music Educators National Conference
• The Eastern Division of the American Choral Directors Association
• The American Choral Directors Association National Conventions in Chicago, New York City, and Los Angeles
• Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center
• The Music Educators National Conference National Convention, Minneapolis

International tours have included Poland, the Czech Republic, and South Africa, with future tours to Pacific Rim countries and Africa in the works. Essence of Joy has released five recordings, including The Soul of Essence and the Spirit of Essence, which features settings of African American spirituals and traditional and contemporary gospel. Visit the choir’s Web site at http://www.clubs.psu.edu/up/essenceofjoy/

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LEIGH MORRIS CHORALE
Robert L.Morris, Founder, Artistic Director, Conductor

Leigh Morris Chorale sings "I Thank You, Jesus" "I Thank You, Jesus"

Established in 1993 under the direction of Robert L. Morris, the Leigh Morris Chorale (LMC) is a community-based choral group that strives to educate the broader community through the preservation and performance of the concert choral music of African Americans. The LMC is made up of amateur and professional musicians dedicated to heightening awareness and appreciation of these rich and wonderful traditions. In recent seasons, the ensemble has performed with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Bobby McFerrin, the Minnesota Chorale, and VocalEssence under the direction of Philip Brunelle. Visit the choir's Web site at http://www.lmchorale.com.

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CARLETON COLLEGE CHOIR
Lawrence E. Burnett, Conductor

Carleton College Choir sings "Worthy To Be Praised" "Worthy To Be Praised"

The Carleton College Choir is a select mixed choral ensemble that presents three annual concerts of short and extended works from the classical, ethnic, and cultural repertories, including works for mixed, women’s, and men's voices. The choir and other choral and small vocal ensembles under Burnett’s direction have been lauded for energetic and emotional performances, while sustaining a high degree of excellence in choral singing. The choir has performed at Carnegie Hall in a concert commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., demonstrated the singing of African American spirituals at the American Choral Directors Association North Central Convention, and performed at the Mid-Winter Conference of the Minnesota Music Educators Association. Recent concert tours have been to Chicago, Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Madison. Visit the choir’s Web site at http://apps.carleton.edu/curricular/music/choir.

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Lawrence E. Burnett, Coordinator, Conductor

Lawrence Burnett holds a BM degree in vocal music education from Texas A & I University, a MM degree in choral conducting, vocal pedagogy, and vocal performance from Eastern New Mexico University, and a doctoral degree in choral conducting from the University of Texas. Before joining the Carleton College faculty in 1993, Burnett taught in the Crane School of Music at Potsdam College of the State University of New York. He received the first Governor’s Award for African Americans of Distinction in New York State, and has served as artistic director of the New York State Summer School of the Arts—School of Choral Studies.

Burnett has performed extensively as a soloist in recitals, oratorios, musicals, and operas with professional orchestras from Texas, New Mexico and New York. His teaching experience spans more than 35 years in public schools and colleges, and he has served as guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator for numerous choral festivals, honor choirs, choral and solo competitions, and workshops in the United States and Canada. He is a life member of the American Choral Directors Association, for which he has served as state, regional, and national chair of the Repertoire and Standards Committee on Ethnic and Multicultural Perspectives.

Burnett is researching the histories of arrangers, composers, conductors, and performers who have kept alive the styles and traditions of African American sacred music through performances and recordings, and was awarded a grant to support his work in developing a Web site to serve as a resource in this endeavor.