Along with the Honorable Thomas M. Menino (mayor of our fair city), the Celebrity Series presented A Community Gospel Celebration at Faneuil Hall last Friday at noon. Three local student choirs (Boston Renaissance Charter School, Boston Children's Chorus and the Boston Arts Academy Choir) joined the Soweto Gospel Choir at Faneuil Hall to sing for an audience of fellow students, parents and the general public.
The South Africans were exhausted. They had been on the road since January and had given 40-plus performances heading into that night's Symphony Hall concert. But they were utterly game, thrilled to listen the Boston choirs, moving in their seats, clapping along and giving energetic standing ovations to all. As if they didn't already have us wrapped around their collective finger!
It would be nice if everyone could have their job so emphatically validated...
Here are a few wholly inadequate photos from yours truly:
The Soweto Gospel Choir onstage amidst portraits of the founding fathers and a packed house
Yes, that's a South African choir singing under George P.A. Healy's famous painting, Webster's Reply to Hayne. Daniel Webster's famous line "Liberty and Union Now and Forever" is in gold above their heads. We couldn't have planned that any better... And Bostonians, that is your mayor seated in the bottom right corner.
The Boston Children's Chorus onstage at Faneuil Hall (the BCC will sing the Canadian National Anthem for Red Sox Opening Day at Fenway Park tomorrow).