The Gateways Orchestra Brought Decades of Struggle to a Peak
The Gateways Orchestra debut at Carnegie Hall.
On a sunny clear day in April, my managing editor and I met up in the lobby of Carnegie Hall. We were there not just to review a concert but to witness history. The Gateways Orchestra, 130 musicians of African descendant, under the baton of conductor Anthony Parnther was presented as part of the preeminent concert hall’s season. It was a first-time-ever event in Carnegie Hall’s 133-year history!
The evening’s program was also historic because all of the compositions performed, but one, were written by African-American composers. The monumental undertaking was live-streamed on WQXR (New York’s classical station) — so, beyond those gathered at the sold out 2,804 seat venue — the rest of New York City had the opportunity to listen and bear witness.
A Profound Collaboration
Clive Gillinson, Executive and Artistic Director of Carnegie Hall and Lee Koonce, President and Artistic Director of Gateways took to the stage to convey the significance of this momentous occasion and their mutual respect each had for this collaboration.
As Gillison and Koonce exited the stage, the violin sections filed in to take their seats. The last to enter was the elegant Kelly Hall-Tompkins first violin and concertmaster. She graciously bowed to the audience and took her place among her fellow musicians. After a dramatic pause, the stage right door opened once again. Out walked conductor Anthony Parnther — an impressively solid and serious man, dressed in a formal black suit, strode toward the conductor’s box. He acknowledged the audience with a slight solemn bow and then customarily greeted the first chairs, finishing with the concertmaster. His focused concentration, as he stepped up to the conductor podium, signaled to the audience that he was ready to begin.
Brahms Sets The Stage
The opening selection, Variations on a Theme by Haydn in B flat Major, Op. 56a (1782) by Johannes Brahms, set the stage. Skillfully interpreted by the conductor, this classical work was very familiar to me — it is one of my favorite classical pieces. It was performed with excitement, emotion, sensitivity and the interpretation was rich and robust.
A George Walker Orchestral Work
I wasn’t familiar with the second work presented — George Walker’s Sinfonia, or any of his orchestral compositions. I had listened to many hours of his piano presentations on CD, and I was aware that he was a Pulitzer Prize recipient. I was pleasantly surprised by the orchestra’s selections.
A Bedazzling Moment with Singer and Songwriter Jon Batiste
The stage right door opened once more and a young man dressed in a bright golden yellow sequined suit took to the stage. Although the suit caught and refracted the light in the hall — in a most bodacious way; the young Jon Batiste walked toward the grand piano as the audience enthusiastically applauded. Batiste looked around the large hall while donning a broad smile and simply said:
We are here!
Batiste is a Grammy Award winning singer, songwriter and musician, and, the bandleader of the Late Show with Steven Colbert. In his own right, Batiste is a television personality. He has performed recorded with artists in various music genres, but on this evening, he performed a symphonic piece with Parnther and the Gateways orchestra.
Original Batiste Work Serves as Affirmation
Batiste took the mic and introduced the work via a poem he had written. He informed the audience that he had written it in the midst of the pandemic, observing all of the social and racial disparities it laid bare. But the main refrain: “I can live, I can dance, I can fly, I can die” ultimately led him to compose the work; he then went on to sing the words as he played the piano. His voice was gentle, almost wistful. Slowly the orchestra accompanied him building to a rousing bold conclusion. The work was hopeful, simple and symphonic in presentation. Even more than that, we saw and could feel his excitement and humility — especially when he gave thanks to the ancestors who had paved the way in this seemingly insurmountable journey.
After a brief intermission, during which Koonce greeted guests in the audience, the orchestra returned wearing some element of African textiles over their suits and dresses or as headress. The work of Florence Price was heroically performed.
The Symphonic Work of Florence Price
I became aware of Mrs. Price’s plethora of music only the night before the concert. The Gateway Festival presented the documentary “The Caged Bird: The Life and Music of Florence B. Price” at The Cooper Union in lower Manhattan. The film was followed by a lively and informative lecture by Dr. Cory Hunter on how to unpack the complexity of Price’s music. They prepared me to fully enjoy the creativity, flavor and convolution of her Symphony.
Every Voice Lifted and Not a Dry Eye in the House
Finally, the Fantasia, composed by James V. Cockerham, was the “icing on the cake” that not only brought the evening to a close, but reminded me and my colleague once more of the significance of this day. The work blended into a tune familiar to most, if not all, of the ‘woke’ audience. The audience was asked to rise and to join in singing together the Negro National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
Photo by J. Adam Fenster / University of Rochester
Imagine the magnificence and honor paid to the legacy of Africans in the diaspora (musicians, composers, vocalists, conductors, and others) in the Isaac Stern Auditorium, a five-story concert hall with over 2,500 seats — voices rising from every corner — amazing! Many eyes were filled with the tears of joy, pride, sadness, and expectancy. Neither my colleague nor I wanted this evening to end. It was as if every minute, every day, every month, every year, and the thousands of decades of struggle had peaked on this day.
We are indeed here!
This is fabulous and thrilled my soul; which I was there but the most heartfelt moment was Fantasia on Lift every voice and sing…our Natl Anthem and the brilliance of James V Cockerham my friend for life …proud of you making ur dream a reality. God loves u my brother 🙏🏾🙏🏾💪🏽💪🏽❤️❤️