The California Revels presents

 Freedom's Journey and the Song

A concert in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day

2:00 pm, Sunday, January 18, 2004

Singers Wendell Brooks, Thena Berry, and Kent Overshown explore the theme of freedom as expressed in African American folk songs from slavery through ragtime and the Civil Rights Movement. This music is a powerful expression of freedom and has become a world music expressing the theme of freedom for all people everywhere.

At the

Julia Morgan Theater

2:00 pm, Sunday, January 18, 2004

PERFORMERS

Wendell H. Brooks has performed extensively throughout Europe and the United States.  He studied voice at the Conservatorie der Stadt Wien and sociology at Uppsala University in Sweden.  Locally, he has appeared as a much-beloved soloist with the Lamplighters, Oakland Opera, Berkeley Community Chorus and Orchestra, Contra Costa Chorale, San Francisco Swedish Choir, Sonos Handbell Ensemble, Oakland Symphony Chorus, and the California Revels.  Among his musical projects, Mr. Brooks has recorded excerpts from Solomon Northrup's slave narrative, Twelve Years a Slave. He has lectured extensively on the importance of studying slave documents as a way of understanding the essence at Berkeley High, and Ethnic Studies at California State University, Hayward.

Thena Berry has appeared in Revels productions around the country, and for the past several years has been a valued member of the chorus for the California Christmas Revels.  Thena currently performs with Opera Non Troppo and Resmiranda.

Kent Overshown,  a second year student at Oakland School for the Arts, has appeared in numerous Bay Area opera and musical theater productions; most recently Ragtime with DLOC. In addition to his active vocal career, Kent appeared in the 2003 production of the Christmas Revels.

THE PROGRAM

This Little Light of Mine - Audience sing-a-long

Oh Freedom - Audience sing-a-long

Steal Away to Jesus

Free At Last

Wade in the Water

Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child  - Thena

Walk Together Children - Wendell

Swing Low Sweet Chariot

Go Down Moses - Kent

Glory Hallelujah

I'm So Glad - Wendell

Over My Head -- Wendell

Come By Here - Audience sing-a-long

Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel - Wendell

We Shall Not Be Moved

Make Them Hear You - Kent

We Shall Overcome - Audience sing-a-long