IMN : Updates for Sweet Honey In The Rock

Sweet Honey In The Rock Spreads a Message of Sweet Diversity

IMN

May 4th, 2012

From The Albuquerque Journal

Spreading a message of sweet diversity
By: David Steinberg

f you count the number of singers in the all-female a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock, it adds up to five. But there’s a sixth, unsung person on stage with them – the sign-language interpreter.

Carol Maillard, one of the founding members of the ensemble, said the interpreter is important to Sweet Honey in the Rock.

“It has a lot of purposes, benefits,” Maillard said in a phone interview.

“First of all, 99 percent of Sweet Honey’s songs have a message – about life, a person’s experiences, political, social messages or messages from the heart. Those messages should be accessible to everybody, whether they hear it or not.”

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Sweet Honey In The Rock's Latest Projects

IMN

April 25th, 2012

From The CT Post

Vocal ensemble, Sweet Honey In the Rock, to perform in Wilton
By: Christina Hennessy

So far this season, St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church’s Arts at St. Matthew’s program has been prolific.

There’s been some jazz, many choral voices, an acclaimed singer-songwriter and the power of the Wilton church’s more than 3,000-pipe organ.

“We try to offer quite a variety of things,” said Rodney Ayers, the church’s music director and organist.

That variety often involves local talent, as well as well-known national acts.

On Sunday, April 29, such a group will wrap up this year’s season — mere weeks after premiering its first orchestral collaboration, “Symphony 10: Affirmations for a New World,” with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

Sweet Honey in the Rock, a Grammy Award-nominated a cappella singing ensemble, will be performing a program that reflects its diverse influences.

The all-female ensemble draws inspiration from the African-American vocal traditions — from call-and-response to spirituals and gospel hymns — as well as blues, rap, reggae and jazz.

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Sweet Honey In The Rock Perform on Spiritual Series

IMN

April 20th, 2012

From The Vancouver Sun

What are top five spiritual songs of all time?
By: Douglas Todd

What do you think are the top five spiritual songs of all time? I have my own opinions. I know readers will as well. Maybe we need a contest (see below). Here’s what one group of esteemed musical aficionados came up with as the best five spiritual tunes:

Amazing Grace.
Ave Maria.
Wade in the Water.
Abide With Me.
Hallelujah (By Handel, not Cohen).

It’s a pretty good list. If I had to pick my favourite of these five, I might opt for Wade in the Water, since I can actually carry the tune (and it’s got that great mischievous line: “God’s gonna trouble the water”). In addition, it’s not as overdone as Amazing Grace. That said, Ave Maria is transportive.

Anyways, the above songs are the ones that are going to be explored and performed repeatedly by a host of talented musicians in a five-part documentary series on Friday evenings beginning on May 11th on VisionTV.

It’s titled “God’s Greatest Hits.”

It’s a bit of a presumptuous title, of course. No one should pretend to know the mind of God. But, in this marketing age, you can’t blame the producers for having a bit of fun in the way they hype their inventive series. In this world premiere you’ll see performances by The Blind Boys of Alabama, Judy Collins, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Sweet Honey and the Rock, The Slocan Ramblers, Bobby McFerrin (above) and many others.

To read more click here

Sweet Honey In The Rock Performs on FOX 5

IMN

April 12th, 2012

From My FOX DC

Sweet Honey In The Rock Performs on FOX 5

Grammy-nominated group “Sweet Honey in the Rock” has two shows in D.C. this weekend.

But first, they stopped by the FOX 5 studio to talk about their new single and to perform!

Watch the video below:

Sweet Honey in the Rock Performs on FOX 5: MyFoxDC.com

Confirmed Tourdates As Of April 3rd, 2012

IMN

May 23rd, 2012: Private Event New York, NY USA [Harlem Renaissance Day of Commitment Leadership Breakfast]
July 7th, 2012: Mass MoCA North Adams, MA USA [Sweet Honey In The Rock®]
July 16th, 2012: Mendizorroza Arena Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain [Sweet Honey In The Rock®]
July 18th, 2012: Molde Domkirke Molde, NORWAY [Sweet Honey In The Rock®]
July 19th, 2012: Molde Domkirke Molde, NORWAY [Sweet Honey In The Rock®]
July 22nd, 2012: Private Event Cincinnati, OH USA [Children's Defense Fund National Conference]
July 28th, 2012: Horizon Sanctuary Atlanta, GA USA [Sweet Honey in the Rock®]
September 27th, 2012: Center For Faith And Life Decorah, IA USA [Sweet Honey In The Rock®]
September 27th, 2012: Young Auditorium - University of Wisconsin Whitewater, WI USA [Sweet Honey In The Rock®]
October 4th, 2012: Harris Theater For Music + Dance at Millenium Park Chicago, IL USA [Affirmations for a New World by Bill Banfield Lyrics by Sweet Honey in the Rock®]
October 18th, 2012: Private Event Washington, DC USA [Private Event: Sweet Honey In The Rock® will be receiving the Humanities Award from the National Humanities Council of Washington, DC]
October 18th, 2012: Private Event Washington, DC USA [Receiving the Distinguished Service to the Humanities Award from the Humanities Council of Washington, DC. ]
December 4th, 2012: The Triple Door Seattle, WA USA [Sweet Honey In The Rock®]
December 4th, 2012: The Triple Door Seattle, WA USA [Sweet Honey In The Rock®]
December 5th, 2012: The Triple Door Seattle, WA USA [Sweet Honey In The Rock®]
December 5th, 2012: The Triple Door Seattle, WA USA [Sweet Honey In The Rock®]
December 7th, 2012: Laxson Auditorium Chico, CA USA [Sweet Honey In The Rock®]
December 8th, 2012: Paramount Theatre Oakland, CA USA [Sweet Honey In The Rock®]
December 15th, 2012: Lorton Performing Arts Center Tulsa, OK USA [Sweet Honey In The Rock®]
January 30th, 2013: Muriel Kauffman Theatre Kansas City, MO USA [Sweet Honey In The Rock®]
February 1st, 2013: McCain Auditorium Manhattan, KS USA [Sweet Honey In The Rock®]
February 2nd, 2013: Memorial Hall North Newton, KS USA [Sweet Honey In The Rock®]
February 4th, 2013: Manship Theatre Baton Rouge, LA USA [Sweet Honey In The Rock®]
February 6th, 2013: One World Theatre Austin, TX USA [Sweet Honey In The Rock®]
February 7th, 2013: Rudder Auditorium - Texas A&M College Station, TX USA [Sweet Honey In The Rock®]
February 12th, 2013: City of Morganton Municipal Auditorium Morganton, NC USA [Sweet Honey In The Rock®]
March 1st, 2013: McCarter Theatre Newark, NJ USA [Sweet Honey in the Rock® Remembering Nina, Odetta, and Miriam]
March 2nd, 2013: McCarter Theatre Newark, NJ USA [Sweet Honey in the Rock® Remembering Nina, Odetta, and Miriam]
March 21st, 2013: Kraakhuis Gent, Belgium [Sweet Honey In The Rock®]
May 17th, 2013: Smothers Theatre Malibu, CA USA [Sweet Honey In The Rock®]

Sweet Honey In The Rock's Musical Commentary

IMN

March 5th, 2012

From The Greenville News

Sweet Honey in the Rock comes to Clemson’s Brooks Center on Thursday
By: Paul Hyde

The Grammy Award-winning Sweet Honey in the Rock is nothing if not topical.

The female a cappella group, now celebrating 38 years of performing, continues to use music as a means of social commentary.

Recently, the ensemble released “We Are a Nation,” a musical response to Arizona’s controversial immigration law.

That’s no surprise. Through the years, the group has addressed topics ranging from motherhood to spirituality, freedom, civil rights, domestic violence and racism.

The six-member African-American ensemble is coming to Clemson’s Brooks Center for a performance Thursday beginning at 8 p.m.

The group sings in five-part harmony, with a sixth member translating with sign language. The group has 20 albums to its credit, including several Grammy Award nominees and one Grammy Award winner (“Folkways: A Vision Shared.”)

To read more click here

Black History Storytelling: Sweet Honey In The Rock

IMN

February 27th, 2012

From WQXR

Black History Storytelling: Sweet Honey In The Rock

On this weekend’s Choral Mix, we explore musical storytelling through the voices of Sweet Honey in the Rock. The female a cappella group is in its 39th year of celebrating its legacy as narrators of the African-American experience. The members are known for their traditional gospel and spiritual works, as well as winning several Grammy Awards.

Their voices have dazzled and educated audiences for decades. Hearing them can change the way you think about music. They engage the heart of the listener and excel at conveying their message through song in five-part harmony.

Sweet Honey in the Rock have also been at the forefront of new musical developments. You’ll hear about a fascinating new piece one of their members, Ysaye Barnwell, is currently involved in. It’s a commissioned oratorio called Fortune’s Bones: The Manumission Requiem. This Requiem by Dr. Barnwell is devoted to laying the spirit of a former slave, and those he represents, to rest. It serves as a way to seek healing and understanding for the interracial hurts we have experienced as a people. The oratorio is written for full orchestra, gospel choir, children’s choir, and chorus of African bells. A real tour de force which premieres at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland College Park on Saturday, February 25.

You will also hear various selections from Sweet Honey in the Rock’s Live from Carnegie Hall album, as well as selections from their album dedicated to children: Experience 101.

To read more click here

Sweet Honey In The Rock JALC Podcast

IMN

February 17th, 2012

From Jazz At Lincoln Center

JazzStories Podcasts: Sweet Honey In The Rock

Miriam Makeba, Nina Simone and Odetta – Three jazz/blues icons and three powerful women who gave a passion for justice to the Grammy winning a-capella ensemble Sweet Honey In The Rock. Sweet Honey added a band to honor those great singers in two concerts at JALC last season. Next summer they’ll premiere their own composition with the National Symphony Orchestra. Steve Rathe talks with the ensemble that’s 39 years young and still going strong.

To listen to the podcast click here

Uplifting Harmonies of Sweet Honey In The Rock

IMN

February 13th, 2012

From AnnArbor.com

Uplifting harmonies of Sweet Honey in the Rock returning to Hill Auditorium Friday
By: Roger LeLievre

Sweet Honey in the Rock, the Grammy Award-winning all-female African-American a cappella ensemble, has had a long relationship with Ann Arbor, one they will further with a return visit—their ninth since 1993—Friday night.

As has been the case in past appearances, Sweet Honey comes to town thanks to the efforts of the University Musical Society.

The group’s commitment to social justice was showcased in 2003, when its members performed on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court as the University of Michigan defended its position on affirmative action. In 2004, UMS honored Sweet Honey in the Rock with its Distinguished Artist Award.

“I think what the group seeks to do is to always be informative and to inspire people to think and be of service,” said founding member Carol Maillard in a recent phone conversation. “If any song we do in concert helps to support that, we’re happy.”

To read more click here

Sweet Honey In The Rock Reopens Boston Church

IMN

December 12th, 2011

From WBUR

Oldest Standing Black Church Reopens In Boston
By: Delores Handy

The African Meeting House, the oldest standing black church in America, reopens to the public Friday for the first time in six years.

The three-story brick building is tucked in an alley off Joy Street on the north slope of Beacon Hill. That’s where Boston’s free black population came together in the 18th century, and where they formed the “Bucks of America” in the 1770s to defend Boston during the American Revolution.

Built in 1806, the African Meeting House is a brick and mortar, as well as a cultural and historical, reminder of the black presence in America and the rough road to freedom for some of its early patriots.

A musical tribute by Sweet Honey in the Rock during a private re-dedication ceremony this week captured the essence of the building’s powerful place in history. It’s a difficult but rich history that is little told: slavery and the self-emancipation of black people who organized on behalf of brothers and sisters who were still enslaved. The building is a vivid reminder of a black history in America that is as old as America itself.

To read more and listen click here

Sweet Honey In The Rock Spreads Holiday Cheer

IMN

December 2nd, 2011

From The Washington Examiner

Sweet Honey In The Rock Spreads Holiday Cheer
By: Emily Cary

Sweet Honey in the Rock, the Washington-based a cappella group, is renowned for an eclectic repertoire that reverberates with black American musical traditions from spirituals, gospel and blues to rap, hip-hop and jazz improvisation. This week, the Grammy Award-winners make their Hylton Center debut.

The members of the ensemble are Ysaye M. Barnwell, Nitanju Bolade Casel, Aisha Kahlil, Carol Maillard, Louise Robinson and Shirley Childress Saxton, the American Sign Language interpreter. Barnwell, the multitalented spokeswoman for the group since the retirement of its founder, Bernice Johnson Reagon, explained that this will be a departure from their usual concert.

“It will be more seasonal with songs from different traditions, including Hebrew and Arabic,” she said. “One of the loveliest songs, ‘The Nativity,’ is from a commission by the American Bible Society based on Luke’s story of the birth of Jesus. Others chosen from our repertoire express how we look at the season.

To read more click here

Sweet Honey In The Rock's Tribute to Nina, Odetta & Miriam

IMN

November 30th, 2011

From The Examiner

Sweet Honey In The Rock’s Nina, Odetta & Miriam tribute comes to The Blue Note
By: Jim Bessman

Having entered their third decade of performances at Carnegie Hall on Nov. 4, the historic African-American a cappella group Sweet Honey In The Rock will return to New York with a three-night debut engagement at Greenwich Village jazz club The Blue Note, Dec. 12-14.

Sweet Honey In The Rock—Remembering Nina, Odetta And Miriam…With A Special Salute To Abbey Lincoln reprises Sweet Honey’s reprises their April performance at Jazz at Lincoln Center, where they premiered the tribute to Nina Simone, Odetta and Miriam Makeba—with instrumental backing by a jazz trio. At The Blue Note, Sweet Honey will likewise be accompanied by musical director/keyboardist Stacey Wade, bassist Parker McAllister and drummer Jovol Bell.

Sweet Honey is comprised of vocalists Ysaye Maria Barnwell, Nitanju Bolade Casel, Aisha Kahlil, Carol Maillard and Louise Robinson, and sign language interpreter Shirley Childress Saxton. The Blue Note shows are part of the club’s 30th Anniversary Jazz Festival.

“We are 38-years-old and appreciate opportunities to stretch and grow,” says Barnwell of the venerable group, which is steeped in the music of African-American cultural tradition and the social activism of the civil rights era. “We wanted to pay tribute to Odetta, Miriam and Nina, and then Abbey died and we wanted to include her as well.”

To read more click here

Sweet Honey In The Rock Comes to Hylton Center

IMN

November 28th, 2011

From InsideNova

Grammy winning a cappella group coming to Hylton Center
By: Tamika Matthews

Sweet Honey in the Rock doesn’t necessarily fit into a specific musical genre. Longtime group member Ysaye Barnwell thinks that’s just fine.

“We really don’t want to be lumped into any other grouping other than that of a female a capella quintet, and sometimes, even that changes,” she said, laughing.

If no other titles stick, “success” does. Since its inception in 1973, the allfemale group has won a Grammy award and been nominated several times, performed at the White House and traveled the world to spread its message of hope.

To read more click here

Sweet Honey In The Rock: Moving Forward While Looking Back

IMN

October 31st, 2011

From Carnegie Hall Blog

Sweet Honey In The Rock: Moving Forward While Looking Back
By: Jeff Tamarkin

When asked what their fans might expect when Sweet Honey In The Rock returns to Carnegie Hall on November 4, Aisha Kahlil, a mainstay of the all-female a cappella ensemble for some three decades, sums it up in a single word: Sankofa. A word of African origin, it means “moving forward while looking back.”

Sweet Honey In The Rock has always been about both: respecting that which has come before, while pointing toward the future. With nearly four decades behind them, the group’s significant body of work continually reveals new riches that delight fans both old and new, while at the same time Sweet Honey seeks fresh avenues of expression.

Their most recent undertaking is a live in-concert tribute to three iconic women—each now gone—whose music inspired the group: Nina Simone, Odetta, and Miriam Makeba, as well as a special tribute to Abbey Lincoln, who passed away prior to their performance. “They were all conscious women and activists in their own right who tied their music to the work they did in their lives,” says Kahlil. “We look up to them as heroines and mentors. We were all touched in a great way by everything they left behind for us.”

To read more click here

PREVIEW: Vocals Flow From Sweet Honey In The Rock

IMN

October 6th, 2011

From 77 Square

Vocals Flow From Sweet Honey In The Rock
By: Katie Foran-McHale

It’s a sound that’s smoother than butter and sweeter than … well, honey.

The Grammy-award winning a cappella group Sweet Honey in the Rock — the all-women, African-American vocal ensemble that blends styles from gospel to jazz to Motown, from Miles Davis to Jimi Hendrix — returns to Madison and plays the Wisconsin Union Theater on Friday, Oct. 7.

“We all have experience with the music of the ’60s,” Sweet Honey in the Rock member Carol Maillard said. “That range of music is embedded in us.”

For Friday’s show, “there will be some songs that people have never heard, and some songs they’ll be familiar with,” Maillard said. “Hopefully they’ll sing along, and enjoy the music as much as they did the last time we were there.”

To read more click here

Sweet Honey In The Rock Call To Compassion

IMN

September 6th, 2011

From Washington Examiner

President Obama to give 9/11 address at National Cathedral despite quake damage
By: Marsha Dubrow

President Barack Obama will deliver formal remarks on the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks at the National Cathedral, which has been closed since the 8/23 earthquake seriously damaged it.

President Obama’s address at the cathedral will conclude his September 11 journey to the three memorial sites in New York City; Shanksville, Pennsylvania; and the Pentagon.

The cathedral will reopen for the three-day “Call to Compassion”, beginning Friday September 9 with “A Concert to Honor”, and concluding with President Obama’s speech Sunday evening, September 11, at “A Concert for Hope.”

The cathedral’s safety measures include fitting the enormous nave’s ceiling with heavy black netting to catch any possible mortar chips that might fall. The Washington landmark remains structurally sound after the 5.8 magnitude earthquake. Most of the millions of dollars of damage were to the ornate exterior of the English Gothic cathedral, the highest point in the nation’s capital…

…“A Concert to Heal”, Saturday September 10, 1 PM. Local artists performing are the all-women gospel group Sweet Honey in the Rock, Afghan-born Muslim singer Humayun Khan and ensemble, and Latin rock band Ocho de Bastos.

To read more click here and to watch a live webcast of the events click here