House, test,
test, test, test, test, how's the sound good?
He's
fine to see it and make yourselves comfortable.
We're about to get started.
I'd like to welcome everybody to the Gayle Board and Public Library.
I'm Tish Calmer, Community Engagement Manager.
And now it is my pleasure to introduce to you
to the hostess with the most us, our MC.
She is a Gayle Board and Public Library trustee
and also with the Kingdom Advancement Center here in Elgin.
You all know her. She is the amazing incredible. Tiffany Henderson.
Thank you, Tish. Thank you. And welcome everyone to the first gospel choir celebration here at the
Galboard in Library.
We are truly, truly, truly, truly excited and really proud to host this
here at the library, as Tish already mentioned, I am a trustee here, so it is my delight
to have you in our space. Isn't this a wonderful library?
Gospel music is such an intricate
part of the Black American experience. So many of us grew up singing in choirs, learning
about who we are, where we've come from through our choir. We got identity there. We felt
We belonged there, we grew up with the sense of self
through our choirs at our local churches.
And so to celebrate Black History Month,
the library thought, well, actually our CEO, Carol,
it was her idea.
So we need to bring some choirs in here.
And I said, you asked for the rewrite, Carol.
Everyone loves choir music.
And I'm excited to bring it back right here in Elgin.
If we're going to start off singing the Black National Anthem,
And progressive, just know you're on deck.
So this, if I could get everyone to stand up,
we're gonna sing collectively as one big community choir.
We're gonna sing the Black National Anthem.
We're gonna sing it loud and proud like we know it.
I've just told someone, I said listen,
we don't sing this collectively, but once a year,
in February, we sing those when every time we get together.
So we're gonna sing all three verses.
I'm a pastor too, so just don't worry about when I say it, man, you got to say it, man,
back.
So we're going to start off, actually.
Yes, I was about to answer that.
So thank you, give a warm welcome to Sister Patricia Williams from second
back to her.
She's going to play always on time.
Hallelujah.
Oh, yeah, I'm going to do a lot of Hallelujahs and thank you, Jesus.
This is what this is.
So everybody, it's clear where we are.
OK, all right, here we go.
The progressive Baptist Church choir, come and give them a hand.
Progressive Baptist Church is
pastured by our very own Reverend Waderhand, Pastor St.
He's a pillar in this community. We're
excited to have his choir here. The progressive church, Baptist Church choir,
live by sister
Brittany Branch, wave your hand, Brittany,
and they will be singing so glad I'm here, and the Lord is
less than me.
To be a dignified thing, guys.
We're at the library.
Pull it together. Pull it together. I'm talking to me.
Talk to pull off these boots.
We're gospel music, duh. It makes you feel good.
Especially when we think about who we're singing to. I'm excited. Thank you, Carol.
I'm excited about doing this in the place that I love. With people that I love, I love us.
I just want you to know I love us.
All of that comes with us, I love it.
So, next we're going to have Christian Tabernacle Church.
Where's Christian Tabernacle?
None other than Pastor Robbie.
Rob, please raise your hand.
Yes.
Pastor.
God, our regular pastor that just gives us the word,
and they got to pass the deck and sing in.
So, have them come as they are here to celebrate with us
by brother or she here, but she here,
she being a church medley. Come on, medley,
medley.
Hey, Ben, I'm, I mean, you remember those tall, stomp in songs and hand clapping sounds.
Hey, Ben, yeah, we got to share it with that today.
come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on.
I told you he was a senior pastor.
I'm excited.
Give him a hand.
The urgent symphony orchestra. So they are going to the deal today is called songs that brought us over. This is, as you all know, this is Black History Month and we really wanted to highlight how these were the songs that led us to freedom, songs that gave us courage when there was none, songs that lifted us up songs that told us we were going to make it when everyone
else say we wouldn't. When we were oppressed enslaved,
these are the songs that got us over
and got us through. So the Elgin Symphony Orchestra is going to play Swinglow, Sweet
Terrier, traveling shoes, songs that were out of silver. Thank you, Elgin Symphony Orchestra.
I'm
not traveling to shoes. I'm ready to go. I'm ready to move on to freedom. Come by here. Pick me up so I can go with you. These were songs that got us through.
I second Baptist comes. I'm excited about the opportunity to learn to teach the next generation about what it needs to really go through and really survive.
This is, please welcome Second Baptist Church choir,
led by the University of the Church of William,
as some of the pastor parks this year,
but we're excited to have Second Baptist Church come in
and sing, they are going to give us
a,
they're going to sing a new version of Lifted Every Voice,
and say I like this version probably.
They're going to sing a new version of Lifted Every Voice and Sing
as well as, thank you.
I
want to give another special thank you to the members of the LG Symphony Orchestra who came out today.
And I also want to let you know that the full orchestra is going to be in concert on April 17th.
Right at second Baptist Church, that's my church.
Thank
you.
Honour my pastor who is here in the back, who is my sanctifiable. My
host is Senator and Elgin. I'm excited. Yes,
our last call, we're going to do this together. I say we, because I was warming up too.
And while the choir is assembling, I would like to first say thank you to the CEO of this
organization, Carol, please raise your hand.
She is an awesome leader and you want to know why we have such great programming here is
because Carol does it.
She's an amazing woman and she, this was her idea, she said we need to get some choirs here
at the library.
So I'm excited. I want to thank her and her staff. All of you who worked on this
raise your hand tension. All of the people give them a hand. They are also the
library staff here.
I want to thank you for coming and thinking with us we are
going to sit with. We are going to sing all in his hands. Now listen, before we
I need to let you in on something.
This is not a sit down and watch song.
This is a participatory song.
So what you're going to see is when the choir starts saying,
this and that, you need to, this and that.
Everybody understand what the assignment is.
So this is a rousing song to think,
to know that everything is in God's hands,
that we're excited about that.
So when we start singing that means you start singing. Yes, yes
Are we ready
to stay but
ready?
A couple of quick announcements. The first one is that there are more programs here at the library that are going on all month-long. Please check with the library staff and they'll let you know what's happening here at the library celebrating Black History Month. Also, if I could get C2AVs hand, he's here from the Elgin, Master Corral, C, Lynn, Raise your hand. They are here from the Elgin, Master Corral.
of you are interested in singing classical music with another kind of choir, please see
Steven Lynn with the Elton Master Corral, and then we also have Miss Career Price.
Who's announcing a book of,
why I really did enjoy this music, remind me of my father's
church.
My name is Juanita Career Price, on every last Monday of the month of each of this year,
I will be hosting a discussion on African American authors.
We're going to start with Toni Morrison.
It would be upstairs in the Algerian room.
It starts at 6 p.m.
I would like to see all of you.
I have been asked so many times.
Why do black people write with anger in their voices?
Why did they always talk about slavery?
Why did they do this?
Well, come to this meeting and discussion.
bring your books Toni Morrison. She, her most famous one was the Blueie's eyes.
Beloved, I would be here to answer all your questions and I'm hopefully I have seen a
word out to one of her sons he may call in but we will see a ex-Pose of Toni Morrison telling you why
herself. Thank you and please come and enjoy yourself. Thank you. Thank you all have a great day. Thank you
for coming.