Bulletin News

02/17/2010 

 The 2010 SUNY Cortland Gospel Choir Cultural Celebration on Sunday, Feb. 28, will feature an array of musical performances by members of the campus community. Fifty percent of ticket sales and all donations will benefit Haitian relief efforts.

The event begins at 4 p.m. in Old Main Brown Auditorium. Tickets are $3 for students and $5 for all others. Tickets may be purchased through Gospel Choir members, at the door or reserved in advance. Ticket reservations may be made by calling (607) 753-4104 or e-mailing Distinguished Service Professor Samuel L. Kelley at sam.kelley@cortland.edu. Reserved tickets may be picked up at the door. Individuals who can’t attend but wish to make a donation are encouraged to do so.                  

SUNY Cortland President Erik J. Bitterbaum will offer the welcome.

During the concert, the SUNY Cortland Gospel Choir will offer the popular spiritual, “Down By the Riverside,” and gospel selections, including “Faithful Is Our God” by Hezekiah Walker, “Bless His Holy Name” by Lawrence Matthews, “I’m Covered” by John P. Kee, “Perfect Praise” by Richard Smallwood and “Oh Happy Day” with Khalila Brown as soloist.

SUNY Cortland alumna Dorothy Thomas ’77 will present a piano performance of spirituals and hymns.

Noelle Paley, interim director of multicultural life and adjunct professor of Africana studies, will direct SUNY Cortland students in two a cappella pieces, “Amazing Grace” and “Wade In the Water.”

The SUNY Cortland Africana Dance Ensemble, under the direction of Yomee Lee, assistant professor of kinesiology, will present an Africana dance selection.

Salsa performer Nikolay Karkov, adjunct professor of Africana studies, will offer selections with dance partner Xhercis Mendez.

A jazz set by the Gospel Choir musicians will round out the performance. The musicians are saxophonist Jamie Yaman of Cortland, N.Y.; and keyboardist Andy Rudy, bass guitarist Reggie Siegler, percussionist Benjamin Terry and Robert Brown on trombone, all of Syracuse, N.Y.

Co-sponsoring the celebration with the choir are the Africana Studies Department, the Black Student Union and the Caribbean Student Association. The event also is supported by the student activity fee. The celebration continues the College’s Black History Month, which is co-sponsored by the the President’s Office; the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs’ Office; the Center for Gender and Intercultural Studies; the Vice President for Student Affairs’ Office; the Multicultural Life Office; the Dean of Arts and Sciences’ Office; the Political Science Department; the Affirmative Action Committee; the Communication Studies Department; the Africana Studies Department; the Black Student Union; and the Caribbean Student Association.

For more information, contact Kelley at (607) 753-4104 or sam.kelley@cortland.edu.