CARNEGIE HALL PRESENTS A NIGHT OF INSPIRATION—A CONCERT SHOWCASING THE UPLIFTING POWER OF GOSPEL MUSIC—ON TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6
buzzz worthy. . .
Musical Director Ray Chew Leads All-Star Lineup: Yolanda Adams, Lawrence Brownlee, Shirley Caesar
Kurt Carr, Olen Cesari, Donnie McClurkin, Cantor Azi Schwartz, Richard Smallwood, and
Dionne Warwick Alongside a 64-Piece Orchestra and 200 Voice Mass Choir
Musical Director Ray Chew Leads All-Star Lineup: Yolanda Adams, Lawrence Brownlee, Shirley Caesar
Kurt Carr, Olen Cesari, Donnie McClurkin, Cantor Azi Schwartz, Richard Smallwood, and
Dionne Warwick Alongside a 64-Piece Orchestra and 200 Voice Mass Choir
On Tuesday, December 6 at 8:00 p.m. in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage, Carnegie Hall presents A Night of Inspiration, an evening of uplifting music under the direction of acclaimed producer, composer, and music director Ray Chew. The program features an all-star roster of artists including Yolanda Adams, Lawrence Brownlee, Shirley Caesar, Kurt Carr, Olen Cesari, Donnie McClurkin, Cantor Azi Schwartz, Richard Smallwood, Dionne Warwick, and singers from the New Faith Church from Cape Town, South Africa, all backed by a 64-piece orchestra and alongsideReverend Dr. Lester W. Taylor Jr. of the Community Baptist Church in Englewood, New Jersey, directing a 200 voice mass choir.
“My wife and business partner Vivian and I feel blessed with the opportunity to once again present a sampling of what inspires us here at Carnegie Hall,” says Ray Chew. “As with our first sold-out production of A Night of Inspiration in 2010, we knew it was important to show inspiration in all of its forms including traditional and contemporary gospel, pop, opera, and classical music along with the art of dance.” Carnegie Hall’s rewarding collaboration with Vivian and Ray Chew began several years ago in 2009, when Ray served as Musical Director for two concerts during Carnegie Hall’s festival, Honor!, celebrating the African-American cultural legacy with artists spanning blues, jazz, gospel, R&B, soul, and beyond. He went on to curate A Night of Inspiration the following year, a sold-out, all-star concert where he conducted a 63-piece orchestra joined by a 125 voice choir and notable artists from the gospel and secular communities. In 2012, Ray directed A Tribute to Motown at Carnegie Hall, paying homage to the distinctive soul sound of the legendary record label’s over 50-year legacy. Last December, he brought together two of gospel music’s biggest stars—Donnie McClurkin and Kim Burrell—in a one-of-a-kind participatory concert at the Hall. |