Press Release: Ecumenical, Urban-Suburban Concert Provides Scholarships for African University
Program Title: Dimensions of Love
Place: White Plains United Methodist Church, 313 SE Maynard Rd, Cary, NC 27511-4511
Date: February 18, 2018
Time: 4 pm
Cost: Free, donations will be requested; tax deductible donations to WPUMC memo: Tanzania
Dr. Abe Cáceres, ethnomusicologist, composer, and founder of World House Music (WHM), will partner with the choir of White Plains United Methodist Church (WPUMC), the Shaw University Choir, and local artists to raise funds to provide scholarship funds for the Cultural Arts Centre of Tumaini University Makumira in Tanzania.
Tumaini has the only full university level music department in Tanzania. WHM raised the funds to send to Tumaini the first concert grand piano at a university ANYWHERE in East Africa! Dr. Abe explains, “Tanzania alone is twice the size of California. Can you imagine the entire west coast of the USA without a concert grand piano at any university? That was the situation in Tanzania until February, 2017. It will create many cultural and economic opportunities.” Pictures of the piano, and of students and faculty enjoying it are posted at the WHM Facebook page and www.WorldHouseMusic.org.
“Dimensions of Love” program launches the second part of the Music for Tanzania project: to raise $10,000 of scholarship funds. $5,000 has already been raised!
The program will open with a mass choir selection: “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” (love of country), and close with a mass choir selection: “Enviado Soy de Dios/Each One of Us Is Sent,” (love of the global community.)
Selections will be offered by the Shaw University Choir, under the direction of Associate Professor of Music, Dr. Loñieta Thompson Cornwall. Shaw University, located in Raleigh, is the oldest historically Black university in the state. Selections will be offered by the White Plains United Methodist Church Choir, under the direction of the well-known conductor, Mr. Bert Fox. Dr. Abe will perform selections from his upcoming album, “Laugh, Cry, Dance, Sigh.” They speak of love of spouse, children, and pets. Outstanding local artists will add to the festivities.
Would you like to participate in the closing mass choir selection? Click here to download the sheet music and click here to download the mp3 of “Enviado Soy de Dios/Each One of Us Is Sent”, and attend a rehearsal on Monday, February 12, 7 PM, to learn the music, and the mass choir rehearsal on February 18, 2:30 pm. Rehearsals take place at the WPUMC sanctuary.
The program will be a cross-cultural, urban-suburban, inter-racial, multilingual, interdenominational musical party with audience participation! Come listen! Come sing! Come be part of the musical party! Come Experience “Dimensions of Love!”For more information contact: Dr. Abe at [email protected] or 414-732-7370