“Ride on, King Jesus”; “Keep Your Lamps” while I “Mail Myself to You.”
What in the world does this mean? Well, nothing as a sentence, but everything when it represents songs sung from the heart and soul in a very special presentation; one that celebrates American roots music — a collection of jazz, country and spirituals.
If you go
American Folk SongFest
Where: The Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda
When: 4 p.m. Sunday
Info: $10 to $32; 301-581-5100; strathmore.org
The Music Center at Strathmore presents the American Folk SongFest on Sunday, the first collaboration of Grammy Award winners Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer, black music historians and cultural ambassadors Kim and Reggie Harris, a bevy of folk musicians, and the 174-voice Children’s Chorus of Washington. The four musicians/songwriters/historians have created new arrangements of popular traditional songs that are uniquely American and emblematic of the country’s diverse roots. Some of these songs include Woody Guthrie’s “Mail Myself to You,” and “Trampin’,” a traditional black spiritual, arranged by the Harrises and featuring Reggie Harris as soloist.
The treasury of songs is divided into two acts and showcases the breakout groups of the Children’s Chorus — the Treble Chorus and the Concert Chorus, under the direction of conductor and chorus founder Joan Gregoryk, and the Bel Canto, conducted by Michael Wu.
“Children today do not get to hear very much traditional music,” Gregoryk said. “And traditional songs are part of their musical heritage.”
Fink agreed, saying “it’s not really a kids’ project other than the fact that kids are the singers.”
And sing they do — to myriad tunes they have probably never heard before this project.
“We’ve been given this incredible opportunity to create scores for the [chorus] of American folk songs, and it has allowed us to do something completely new in a beautiful, beautiful way,” Fink said. “It’s allowed us to stretch out our musical talents.”
Because this is the celebration of musical America, Fink said she is determined the audience share the joy of singing together as a group, and to that end the concert closes with an all-chorus, all audience sing-along.
“When people sing together, something important happens,” Fink continued. “Singing is emotional and physical. It fills the space around you and in your heart.”
And of the entire presentation, she added, “It’s not just a concert; it’s a community of voices and feelings when people get together. What we create together makes us all bigger than ourselves.”
