Transcend, a sermonic musical performance (in development) created by Sangodare Wallace with support and direction from Toshi Reagon as a part of Toshi’s fellowship with Center for Performing Arts at UNC. It draws on Black Church traditions in the Carolinas, Soul/R&B music and sacred texts from Black feminist and African diasporic wisdom traditions. We are organizing a band and choir to support the performance happening Nov 3, 2023 at the Meet Me at the Crossroads event. We will have at least 2 rehearsals Oct 17 & Nov 2, 2023, more details below.
Transcend Band
Are you a professional musician or someone that used to play in high school? We are excited to invite you into practice and into community! This is an ongoing practice which we will continue and include multiple skill levels to join with us.
CPA @ UNC
CPA presented the US premiere of Octavia E. Butler Parable of the Sower opera by Toshi Reagon and Bernice Johnson Reagon at CPA. Toshi’s fellowship with CPA culminates with
Meet Me at the Crossroads.
Only want to attend? Wanna invite others? Get tickets HERE!
CHOIR
We are going to have a CHOIR!!!
Sangodare, with support from Toshi, is creating a choir for Transcend (a musical performance by Sangodare produced by Toshi Reagon and presented by CPA). The choir will continue as a community choir beyond the Transcend performance on Nov 3rd, 2023. The next gathering will be for Pauli Murray’s birthday celebration Sunday, Nov 19.
This is a community choir for now and operating on a volunteer basis. Section leaders may be asked to provide additional support and therefore will receive a stipend.
Process
Please fill out a brief form so we can connect.
There will be 1-2 rehearsals in October and 1 the day before the performance. Prior to that you will receive recordings of the material to help you prepare.
FORM for CHOIR
AMEN CORNER
WANT TO SUPPORT MORE CASUALLY!
Perhaps you are not interested in singing or perhaps don’t have the capacity to commit to 2-3 rehearsals. There are other ways you can support such as:
hospitality / usher
cleanse the space
support parents with activities for children
help the visual artists setup
sit in the designated Amen corner for filming
stay after at an info and resource table
volunteer more generally
Process
Please fill out a brief form so we can connect.
Someone from our team will reach out.
FORM for AMEN CORNER
Want to support in another way?
Make a donation to help cover the cost of the band, the recording studio time and other costs associated with this and future performances. https://www.mobilehomecoming.org/donate
***FAQ***
At the bottom of the page…FYI.
CHOIR PRACTICE DETAILS
Thursday, November 2nd
The Current - 123 W Franklin St, Chapel Hill
THURSDAY: 1-3:30pm
FRIDAY: 11-10pm with big break: (11am - 2pm, 7-10pm)
Tuesday, October 17th
Northstar
5:30-7:30pm
see confirmation email for more details
Tickets to Nov 3, 2023 Performance
Get Tickets HERE!
(link address above takes you to:
https://tickets.carolinaperformingarts.org/meet-you-at-the-crossroads-iv )
Are you interested in playing music together?
Transcend Band
We are gathering our aligned community to learn the music to accompany Sangodare, Toshi Reagon and Toshi’s band for Transcend (an opera by Sangodare produced by Toshi Reagon and presented by Carolina Performing Arts at UNC) and beyond. Musicians who learn the music may be asked to play for studio recordings, participate in future performances and/or asked to accompany the choir at local and international performances. All skill levels welcome because we have different roles and functions for everyone. However, we are looking for musicians that are 18 years old and above.
Please fill out the form below to help us coordinate with you and the rest of the Transcend team.
Form for Band
Have you seen an opera before? Not Like this one!
Toshi @ CPA - Carolina Performing Arts
Toshi Reagon is a Brooklyn-based singer, composer, musician, curator, activist and producer. Toshi is CPA’s longest-running artist-in-residence which where during her first CPA fellowship, she premiered the world reknowned and critically acclaimed Octavia E. Butler Parable of the Sower opera.
Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower is an opera based on the epic novel by the same name, with music and lyrics by Toshi Reagon and Bernice Johnson Reagon. It blends science fiction and African American spiritualism. “This powerful opera brings together two centuries of Black music to give life to Octavia E. Butler’s acclaimed science-fiction novel, with revealing insights on gender, race, and the future of human civilization from Reagon, ‘one of the most compelling performers on the modern-rock scene,’ (New York Times) and her mother, iconic singer and founder of Sweet Honey in the Rock.” ^1
One way that Toshi has described the story as being about the family we have, and once it is taken away from us, the family we create with others who help us along the way.
Learn more about Toshi’s collaborations @ CPA - HERE
Learn more about Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower - HERE
FAQ
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1) What if I can only come to one of the rehearsals?
Reach out to Sangodare. Some folks will be mic’ed and some folks will not. Plus some of you have been to choir practices in the past where we have covered some of the material before.
2) What if I can only come if I bring my children with me?
Children are welcome in the rehearsal space. They just won’t be able to sit with or sing with the choir during the performance.3) What if I am nervous or scared to sing in front of people?
I am practicing, WE are practicing to create a congregational singing culture in our community (akin to the one I grew up in). Everyone’s voice adds something to the mix. If you KNOW you can’t sing a lick and can’t match a note, that’s one thing but joiing others as we share our lifeforce energy through our singing, clapping, stomping and dancing is a crucial practice to grow INSIDE and WITH community. So… if you are able, if you feel safe ENOUGH… do it anyway. Sing scared. I AM!
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1) How many rehearsals are there, when and what else do I need to know about logistics?
First, The Oct 17th rehearsal will be in/near downtown Durham. The 2nd at The Current in Chapel Hill 123 W Franklin St, Chapel Hill, NC 27516. Two rehearsal is the minimum we’ll need AS LONG AS when I send you the recordings of the music you play and sing along. Yes casually BUT ALSO focused and focusing on the words, the starts and stops.
Second, I am doing my best to communicate well. However, if I waited until I could do it great to do THIS… well let’s just say I have been waiting over twenty years. So, part of this collaboration is my request that each of us be proactive in getting and giving any info we think MIGHT be relevant. Thank you in advance for your grace and generosity.
Third, there will certainly be people that really want to participate but can’t make the two rehearsals. Those folks should email me. Additionally, once we identify section leaders we will likely schedule an additional rehearsal. You may be able to make that one (which would be a makeup rehearsal or if you can make the other 2 it would be a 3rd out of 3 opportunities to rehearse).
Finally, the final rehearsal on Thursday, Nov 2 will be at the Current in Chapel Hill (123 W Franklin St, Chapel Hill, NC 27516)
Come early enough to give yourself time to park. -
Yes!
Be a part of the Amen corner by filling out the form above.
Make a donation to help cover the cost of the band, the recording studio time and other costs associated with this and future performances. https://www.mobilehomecoming.org/donate -
If you are a member of the choir, feel free to use these tracks to prepare.
