Carnegie Hall Presents Honors Series at Apollo Theatre

Carnegie Hall Partners with The Apollo Theater to present a weekend devoted to the spiritual and gospel music on March 21 And 22 during citywide festival HONOR! A CELEBRATION OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL LEGACY

Events To Take Place at the Apollo Theater Include:

Panel Discussion on Saturday, March 21 with Derrick Bell, Dr. Calvin O. Butts III, Portia Maultsby, Chapman Roberts, Sweet Honey In The Rock, and Olly Wilson Explores Historical, Political, and Musical Dimensions of the Spiritual and Gospel Music

Performance on Sunday, March 22 Features Musical Director Ray Chew, Gospel Vocalists Shari Addison, Shirley Caesar, Donnie McClurkin, Smokie Norful, and Richard Smallwood, Abyssinian Baptist Church Cathedral Choir, Hezekiah Walker and the Love Fellowship Choir, Sweet Honey In The Rock, and Vy Higginsen’s Gospel for Teens

This March, Carnegie Hall presents Honor! A Celebration of the African American Cultural Legacy —a three-week festival dedicated to saluting the enduring vitality, influence, and creativity of African American culture—curated by internationally renowned soprano Jessye Norman. A highlight of the festival will be a special weekend at the Apollo Theater on March 21 and 22, immersing audiences in the traditions of the Spiritual and gospel music through discussion and performance.

On Saturday, March 21 at 7:00 p.m. a panel discussion explores the historical, political, and musical issues associated with these musical genres. Participants include Derrick Bell, Professor of Constitutional Law at the New York University School of Law; Dr. Calvin O. Butts III, Pastor of The Abyssinian Baptist Church; Portia Maultsby, Professor of Folklore and Ethnomusicology at Indiana University; performer, arranger, and musical director Chapman Roberts; composer, performer, and Professor of Music at University of California at Berkley Olly Wilson; and members of the renowned a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey In The Rock.

On Sunday, March 22 at 5:00 p.m., the weekend’s programming will continue with a concert tracing the development of the Spiritual from its African roots in a joyous program that brings together gospel vocalists Shari Addison, Shirley Caesar, Donnie McClurkin, Smokie Norful, and Richard Smallwood with The Abyssinian Baptist Church Cathedral Choir, Hezekiah Walker and the Love Fellowship Choir, Sweet Honey In The Rock, and Vy Higginsen's Gospel for Teens, with other artists to be announced. Ray Chew, musical director of NBC’s The Singing Bee, Showtime At the Apollo, and BET’s Sunday Best, serves as the concert’s musical director.