FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Ananda Brutvan, 607-339-9277, abrutvan@thesmith.org
GENEVA, NY – Witness “Singing in the Spirit,” a gathering of gospel music from across the country, on Saturday, July 15th beginning at 4:00pm and featuring the Billboard charting Chosen Few of Omaha, Nebraska. The group has toured extensively across the country, bringing their Blues, Country, Jazz, R&B, and Funk-infused Gospel to the House of Blues New Orleans and Houston and many festivals. Joining the Chosen Few will be Greg Logins and Revival, Brian McIntosh, Lite Blue, Wayne Anthony Norwood and the Children of God, Linda Najar, and Alma Miller. Genevan Patti Blue and the Geneva MLK Choir will also add their musical stylings to this lively evening of Gospel. Tickets begin at $18 and can be purchased on the Smith’s website, here.
Ms. Blue expressed her enthusiasm for the upcoming event, saying, “The objective is to bring programs that are culturally relevant to the community. This event is an opportunity for people who are very familiar with gospel to enjoy different expressions of it, but also makes gospel accessible to people who might not otherwise find themselves in a church.” Wayne Anthony Norwood and the Children of God helped coordinate “Singing in the Spirit” and will be performing on July 15th as well. “It will be a wonderful multi-cultural event,” said Norwood, “Every type of Christian gospel will be represented. There will be southern gospel, traditional quartet gospel, Christian blues acts, and standard praise and worship as well as R&B influenced performances as well. The event is designed to bring everybody together, because there should be no separation in the Lord. We are looking for everyone to come in and just enjoy their love of Gospel. We operate under the belief of one God, one faith, one baptism. We are all serving the same Lord, and should all be able to get together and come in, in fellowship, and have a good evening together.”
Gospel Lovers members can also purchase VIP passes, to attend a meet and greet with the performers before the event.
On Saturday, October 21st at 8:00pm, experience African-American gospel quintet The Legendary Ingramettes at The Smith. Founded by Maggie Ingram (who passed away in 2015) this gospel group started as a way to keep her family together through hardship, and later, when taken up by her daughter, Almeta Ingram-Miller, became a way to continue Maggie’s legacy. Inspired by the black gospel male quartets of the 1940s and 50s, The Legendary Ingramettes bring roof-raising harmonies and explosively powerful vocals, all driven by the voices of women. The group’s latest creative efforts draw from new Appalachian sources like Ola Belle Reed and Bill Withers, and rework family favorites, some of which date back to old spirituals. A live show from The Legendary Ingramettes is a house-rocking affair, with audiences literally getting whipped to a gospel fervor! Tickets for this event can be purchased on the Smith’s website, here.
On Saturday, November 4th at 7:30pm, Geneva Concerts brings one of the earliest and most famous Black vocal groups, the Fisk Jubilee Singers® to the Smith’s stage. This group, composed of artists and students from Fisk University in Nashville, performs and travels worldwide. Founded in 1871, the original ensemble introduced the world to the music now known as African American spirituals, and are credited with preserving and performing this unique American musical tradition. They broke racial barriers in the U.S. and abroad in the late 19th century and sang for heads of state around the world while raising money to support and sustain their beloved school. Today, this remarkable ensemble continues to perform globally and is comprised of Fisk University students who are selected annually through an audition process. The Fisk Jubilee Singers® have received numerous awards, including a 2021 GRAMMY® nomination for Best Roots Gospel Album for their recently released album, Celebrating Fisk! (The 150th Anniversary Album). More information about the Fisk Jubilee Singers is available here, including links to video and audio performances and teaching materials. Tickets are available at www.GenevaConcerts.org or at the door. Tickets are free for youth in 12th grade and below. All other tickets are only $10 for admission!
The Smith Center for the Arts, stewards of the historic Smith Opera House, provides diverse arts and educational enrichment opportunities year-round for Finger Lakes residents and visitors. To learn more about events offered by The Smith Center for the Arts, visit thesmith.org, or visit or call our box office for phone and in-person sales, 10am-4pm, Tuesday-Friday. The Smith Opera House is at 82 Seneca St. in Geneva, NY. Please email boxoffice@thesmith.org or call (315) 781-5483.
