OBERLIN TO CELEBRATE MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. WITH CONCERT BY MOSES HOGAN SINGERS FEBRUARY 6

The program, which is free and open to the public, will feature "His Light Still Shines," a piece arranged by Hogan based on text by Martin Luther King, Jr., and contemporary settings of traditional spirituals.

Hogan, a 1979 graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and a pianist, is the conductor and artistic director of the choral group and is considered a central figure in the choral renaissance of the American spiritual.

The New Orleans-based ensemble--"a national treasure" (St. Louis Post Dispatch)-- is dedicated to preserving the integrity and excellence of the multiple aspects of the African-American choral tradition. Of the ensemble’s last performance in Los Angeles, the critic for the Times wrote: "One was mesmerized by the gorgeous, subtly blended sound that these voices made. They have great dynamic control and a natural, unexaggerated sense of swing, able to sail through the most complicated arrangements…"

Hogan is also an artist-in-residence at Loyola University and arranger and composer for Hal Leonard Music Corporation. He began his exploration of choral music in 1980 with the organization of The New World Ensemble, which led him to form the Moses Hogan Chorale. That group was the first African-American community choir chosen from the South to perform at the convention of the American Choral Directors Association.

The appearance resulted in invitations to perform concerts at home and abroad, including such sites as the Kennedy Center, the D.A.R. Constitution Hall and the Sydney Opera House. Last year they toured Germany, Greece, Spain, and Switzerland and are scheduled to perform this year in Michigan, Texas, Louisiana, and California.

Soloist Marietta Simpson is one of the most sought-after mezzo-sopranos on the music scene today. Possessed of "a sublime voice" said the Boston Globe, she has sung with all the major orchestras in the U.S. and under the direction of many of the world’s great conductors.

Hogan’s discography includes two recordings of spirituals for Aria and Channel Classic Records with internationally acclaimed countertenor Derek Ragin, a 1980 graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory. The Moses Hogan Singers made its recording debut in 1998 on the EMI label and it also can be heard on Voices for Windham Hill, Give Me Jesus for EMI Virgin Records and The Best of the Moses Hogan Chorale and A Home in That Rock for the MGH label.

Sponsored by the Office of the President and in part by the Conservatory of Music, the February 6 concert is among a number of programs to be offered by the College during Black History Month and the fourth in a series of 2000-2001 Convocation events. The series will conclude with presentations by highly acclaimed composer-conductor John Adams, March 13 and outstanding scientist Vilayanur S. Ramachandran, April 19.

Media Contact: Betty Gabrielli 01/17/01 #66 bg