Last month, the Houston Symphony partnered with The Community of Faith to present a special Neighborhood Concert for the church’s congregation and larger community which it serves. The Community of Faith is an important church within the Houston community, serving a large congregation in Acres Homes, one of the Mayor’s Complete Communities, and under the leadership of Bishop James Dixon, a well-known leader within Houston’s faith community and deeply committed to the arts.
Allison Conlan (Director of Education, Houston Symphony), Rovion Reed (Associate Director of Education and Community Engagement), Pam Blaine (Chief of Education and Community Engagement), Tonya Bozeman (Community of Faith), Members of the Youth Jazz Band.
(Left to Right): Ishwaria Mohan Subbiah (Board of Directors Community Partnerships Committee), Ed Schneider (Chair, Board of Directors Community Partnerships Committee), John Cisneros (Chair-Elect, Hispanic Leadership Council), Manuel Delgado (Hispanic Leadership Council), Jessie Woods (Chair, African American Leadership Council), Stepheny Scott (African American Leadership Council).
Houston Symphony’s virtual Neighborhood Concert was viewed in-person at The Community of Faith and available to view online, and highlighted compilation of previously recorded pieces from past Live from Jones Hall performances, specifically tailored for the church. The program included music by a variety of composers, including three Black composers – Kevin Day, Florence Price, and William Grant Still – along with Bach and Mozart.
WATCH:
Kevin Day’s Lightspeed
(as featured on the virtual Neighborhood Concert)
The event also included a live pre-concert performance produced by church leadership, featuring exceptional young singers and instrumentalists from both inside and outside of Houston. The performances focused on the connection between jazz and classical music, highlighting the great Black musicians and composers involved in the evolution of these two musical movements through the past and current centuries.
Vocalist Jordan Steward sings a solo under the direction of Music Director Steven Providence, Music Director for Providence Music Studio and Good Gang USA, Inc.
Daniel Boyd Bass (Baritone) and Sarah Myers (Pianist) perform during the pre-concert performance.
Audience members included the Houston Symphony’s own Community Partnerships and Education Committees members, the African American and Hispanic Leadership Councils, as well as members of The Community of Faith’s congregation.
(Left to Right): Ishwaria Mohan Subbiah (Board of Directors Community Partnerships Committee), Ed Schneider (Chair, Board of Directors Community Partnerships Committee), John Cisneros (Chair-Elect, Hispanic Leadership Council), Manuel Delgado (Hispanic Leadership Council), Jessie Woods (Chair, African American Leadership Council), Stepheny Scott (African American Leadership Council), Tonya Bozeman (Community of Faith), pose for a picture with Community of Faith youth who attended the concert.
Through its community partnerships, the Houston Symphony continues to reach new audiences across the city by bringing music to their own neighborhoods. For more information on the Symphony’s community engagement initiatives, use this link.
