October 6, 1983
Black Ink
Page 5
U • YOU • YOU • YOU • YOU • YOU • YO
BSM Gospel Choir
perserves black culture
Next black concert hero
Bates' music livens Memorial Hall
by Smith Turner
Labeled as the “next black con
cert hero," concert pianist Leon
Bates has been making appearances
in numerous concert halls extending
from Carnegie Hall and the Ken
nedy Center to the Philadelphia
Academy of Music. Performances
with symphonies have included the
Philadelphia, Detroit, Atlanta,
Denver, Cincinnati, Nashville,
Savannah, The National Memorial
Hall on UNC's campus.
The concert consisted of works
by French composer Maurice Ravel
and Russian composer Sergei
Rachmanienoff. The first half of the
concert was composed of Ravel's
"Sonatine" and "Gaspard del la
Nuit", which is considered to be one
of the most difficult pieces in piano
repertoire.
After intermission Bates
mesmorized the audience with his
rendition of Rachmaninoff's "3
Etudes Tableaux" and Sonata No 2
in B Flat minor". He played these
pieces with considerable eloquence,
skill, and orginality. But what pro
bably most impressed the audience
was his finger dexterity most evi
dent in "Non allegro", the second
movement of "Sonata No 2 in 8 flat
minor".
As an encore to his already im
pressive concert Bates performed
Brahm's "Intermezzo in B flat
minor", which left the audience
content that they had witnessed a
rising star In the classical music in
dustry.
On the stage Bates exemplifies
virtuosity, while off the stage Bates
extends his love and knowledge of
music to the classroom. He has been
on the faculty at Oberiin School of
Conservatory and is presently a
faculty member at the University of
Delaware.
maintaining a plausible academic
average. A slide-show and parapher
nalia were presented as each Black
Greek president recited the history
and founders of their perspective
fraternities and sororities; and a par
ty, sponsored by the BCG, was held
in Great Hall following the convoca
tion. ■
Although classical music is Bates
main concentration, the
Philadelphia native also has played
jazz, gospel, and rock n' roll in high
school and college. In fact he listens
to just as much jazz as he does
classical music. Two of his favorite
jazz artist include Chick Corea and
John Coltrane.
Bates spends his spare time lifting
weights. He finds that it not only
helps to building his body, but also
aids in the relaxation needed to give
a good piano performance.
Bates is unique not only because
he is one of the few classical
pianists that lifts weights, but also
because he is one of the few blacks
concert pianist, besides Andre
Watts, who has reached plateaus of
success. Bates credits his parents;
support, his teachers, especially
Natalie Henderson of Temple, and
his winning of a national competi
tion that provided opportunities for
him to play with various orchestras.
Bates attributes the lack of black
participation in the area of classical
music due to keen competition.
Also, economics pose another pro
blems. Musicians need to be able to
invest in a person who will help
them to "reach the higher level of
ability."
Bates says, many aspiring black
musicians lacks repertoire. He con
siders himself lucky that he has
been able to enter at least a contest
a year from ages 15-25, which great
ly aided in his building of a reper
toire.
Time also is a factor. Some future
musicians are unable to maintain a
high skill level. Often times they
have to work other jobs to survive,
which often means a job not in the
field of music. Or in some instances
a black starts in the field of classical
music, but turns to other elements
of music such as jazz, pop, or rock,
because money is more accessible
there.
Bates streeses the main thing is to
"develop skills thoroughly, be able
to write in varying idioms" and be
not only "proficient on the instru
ment", but also knowledgeable of
all types of music and its
background. ■
Dawn Reavis
Gospel music is an important part
of Black American culture In the
past, gospel music was the
slaves'main channel of communica
tion Secret meetings, messages to
runaways, and everyday trails were
all related in gospel song. Today, the
Black Student Movement Gospel
Choir is maintaining this small part
of Black culture
The BSM gospel choir is twelve
years old and presently consists of
94 members, who are selected by
auditions held each fall The choir
travels and performs both in and out
of state. Invitations are voted upon
by choir members. "The choir has
always toured across North Carolina
and has been used by the Admis
sions office and the University Ad
ministration to recruit Black
students by presentative of Black
culture outlets do exist that are
representing of Black culture in this
predominately White campus
despite its small minority student
population," states Zollie Steven
son, Area Director of Morrison.
The choir performs in different
dorms during the year and at many
cultural programs sponsored by dif
ferent campus organizations The
choir also performed in prisons and
many public schools. "The BSM
gospel choir traditionally sings at
Project Uplift, Decision Days and
Minority Career Day Programs,
which are recruitment arid/or
development programs sponsored
by the University," states Stevenson.
People who join the choir are at
tracted for various reasons 'My in
itial reason for joining the choir was
for enjoyment," says Lee Cooley,
"the choir helps take my mind off of
the pressures of studies states
Cooley. Black songs were an outlet
for the slaves and the choir serves as
a continuation of that.
"I love to sing gospel music and
gospel music has become a part of
me." states Latonya Simms. "I join
ed the choir because I enjoy singing
and 1 was brought up singing gospel
music in choirs, at schools and in
churches."
The gospel song is unique in that
it can have several different mean
ings The title song to the choirs
latest album is "Make it to The
City" "This song may be a reminder
of what the slaves would sing when
they were planning an escape, of
some may think of "the city" as a
certain goal." states Simms.
"However, my interpretaion is that
"the city" means heaven.
Throughout the song the lyrics are
'If My Mother Don't Go I've Got To
Make It, If My Father Don't Go I'VE
Got To Make It' and I'm gonna try to
"make it to the city"! proclaims
Simms ■
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Friday October 28, 1983
Great Hall, UNC-Chapel Hill
Admission $1.00
Party Immediately Following