The Grand Trunk Pub might be more known for its huge selection of brews, but there's one menu item you've got to try the next time you're down on Woodward at lunch time. We never pass up the chance to indulge in a bowl of the Trunk's Shepherd's Pie, a heaping helping of mashed potatoes, corn and seasoned beef topped with a thin layer of cheese. It's good eatin'. 
Ebony
The Harlem-born opera singer speaks about idol Leontyne Price and more
21 November 2012
By Sergio Mims
Harlem-born and -raised Noah Stewart has become classical music’s newest sensation and the first Black musician to top the classical records chart. His debut album for Decca Records, simply titled Noah, topped the UK classical music chart at no.1, and even reached the No. 2 slot in the U.K. right after Madonna’s latest album, MDNA. And after an appearance on NPR, his album debuted at No.1 on Amazon’s Classical Chart.
Raised by a single mother, it was obvious from an early age Stewart had an extraordinary voice, and while in junior high, he even recorded voiceovers for Sesame Street. But it was his meeting his idol and mentor Leontyne Price that started his career rolling when she encouraged him to attend the Juilliard School of Music in New York, where he was awarded a full scholarship and afterward received the Adler Fellowship program at the San Francisco Opera.
Aside from concerts, he’s been busy making waves at opera houses around the world, appearing in productions in Paris, London’s Convert Garden Royal Opera House, the Michigan Opera Theater and the Glimmerglass Opera in New York.
EBONY recently had a wide-ranging talk with Stewart (he was at London’s Heathrow Airport shortly before boarding a flight to Singapore for series of engagements), in which he spoke about the joy and struggles of being a Black opera tenor, how legend Leontyne Price became an inspiration, and how to lose 70 pounds.
EBONY: When did you know that you had a voice? Noah Stewart: I knew that I had something special when my choir teacher pulled me aside back when I was in junior high school. I took choir as an elective because I wanted to be a mathematician, a scientist or an engineer. I took up choir because my mother worked some 40 hours plus a week, so I needed some extra outside activity. I was admitted into the choir primarily, I think, because I was a boy and there was a deficiency of men. But like I said, my teacher pulled me aside and said, “I think you have something special there.” But I didn’t believe her, to be perfectly honest, until probably my second year at choir when I won my first competition. And that’s when it was very clear to me that I had something special to offer.
EBONY: One thing that I constantly read about you is that when you were younger, you happened to see video of Leontyne Price singing in Giuseppe Verdi’s Messa da Requiem, and it was a transformative experience for you. If they’re giving Obama a hard time every day because they just can’t bear to see a Black man in a position of power, I’m sure it’s the same singing a tenor role in major opera house.
NS: It was the first person of color I saw singing in an operatic technique on film, and I was transfixed by the vision of her with an all-European orchestra, with all European soloists, with a European conductor. So I went to the library and looked for male equivalents. And there was George Shirley and Roland Hayes, but I didn’t see many Black men, so I said I wanted to be the male representative of what she was able to accomplish in her career. To try to make a dent somehow in the career of opera.
(Concert Artist Guild Artists: flutist Claire Chase and harpist Bridget Kibbey perform at a family shelter, The Jennie Clark Residence- photo by Greg Routt)
Violinist and Music Kitchen Founder Kelly Hall-Tompkins:
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TerranceExecutive and Artistic DirectorRitz Chamber Players
Roy F. Eaton
WHAT: Benefit for Michal Friedman Snyder: An evening to remember Michal the Girl and to support the Snyder Twins
WHO: Manhattan Twins Club
WHEN: Mon Dec 3, 2012, 7-8 pm EST
WHERE: The Bitter End
147 Bleecker St. Between Thompson and LaGuardia FREE ADMISSION
WHY? Remember this story last year?Mom dies after giving birth to twinsHEIDIEVANS Wednesday, December 07, 2011 Michal Lura Friedman wanted more than anything to be a mom. On their second date, her husband, Jay Snyder, recalled, she just came right out with it: “I want to get married and have kids.” After seven years of trying, the 44-year-old singer-songwriter became pregnant with twins. The next nine months were the happiest of the Manhattan couple’s lives. With her husband at her side in the OR, Friedman delivered a healthy 6-pound girl at 4:48 p.m. on Nov. 25 and a 7-pound, 12-ounce boy two minutes later.
Friedman, who described her tiny, 100-pound frame as “5 foot nothing,” had just the usual morning sickness — with no hint that anything terrible could happen as her due date approached.
Because one of the children was a breech baby, a C-section was scheduled for Nov 28. The children were full-term — 38 weeks.
The day after Thanksgiving, an elated Friedman went to NYU Langone Medical Center for her preop appointment. Her blood pressure was elevated, Snyder said, so doctors made the decision to admit her and do the C-section that day.A grieving Snyder, and dozens of relatives and friends who loved the spirited and spiritual woman known as “Michal the Girl,” now struggle to understand what happened.
It is an unspeakable tragedy that Snyder, 41, is trying to absorb, replaying in his head her final hours as he watched doctors try to stem her postoperative bleeding, and then saw her slip away on an ICU table.
Twin mom, Amy Gillston, is doing a Benefit to remember Michal and to support the Snyder Twins. Moved by this story, I volunteered to perform. I will also donate 50% of any CD sales made then. The event is free, but you can make a donation at the door if you wish. There is a cash bar and snacks will be provided. You are invited to stay at the Bitter End following the event or we can all go and grab a drink afterwards.
Amy truly hopes that you can all make it to this wonderful event. Come and hear musicians play, MTC members recite poetry, and a few words from those close to Michal and her babies, Reverie and Jackson. The MTC has been incredibly supportive to the Snyder family and Amy would love to see all of you at The Bitter End to remember and honor Michal. Amy is also accepting any other performers that would like to play/sing, read, or recite poetry.
Please RSVP. Thank you!
RSVP: http://www.bigtent.com/home/calendar/event/74019140
FREE CONCERT!The American Negro Theater atThe Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture515 Malcolm X BoulevardNew York, NY 10037-1801Registration required.Call 212-491-2040 for more info.
FeaturingAndréa Bradford, SopranoLeslie Swanson, Mezzo-SopranoAshley Horne, Violin
Carl Jackson, ClarinetLiz Player, ClarinetLaurence Goldman, Double BassIshmael Wallace, Keyboard
Program - All Music by J.S. BachViolin Sonata in E Major, Prelude and Fugue in C Major, vocal arias, andarrangements for 2 clarinets and double bass.
The Harlem BACH ProjectThe Harlem BACH Project is an ongoing work in progress dedicated to bringing Bach's most inspirational and soul-stirring works uptown to the Harlem community. The Harlem Chamber Players' "BACH Unit" is an offshoot group solely dedicated to the music of J.S. Bach. We plan to bring Bach's greatest works to various venues (indoors and out) throughout the Harlem community and beyond.
Fela Sowande in 1946 Theatre Organ World (From Alan Ashton)
Singer Adelaide Hall and Fela Sowande on cover of ASV LP Record Label(From Alan Ashton)
Sierra Sue Goodnight Deep PurpleAlan Ashton is a former BBC Radiobroadcaster whose website is www.organradio.com. On November 20, 2012 he sent an email to AfriClassical.com.
Alan Ashton writes:UnlessI have missed it, or the omission is deliberate, there seems to be nomention of his time as both a theatre pipe & electronic organist. He made a number of broadcasts on the BBC theatre organ as a soloperformer, and is still heard as accompanist, on Hammond organ, toAdelaide Hall. I also believe that he appeared in the stageproduction of Black Birds. His signature tune during those popularorgan music days was Deep Purple...for obvious reasons! Some yearsbefore he died I traced him to the USA where he was now a teachingprofessor, and he gave me a wonderful interview for my (then) radioprogramme on BBC Radio Manchester. Sadly, and it is my one regret, Ino longer have the tape.
Ihave just come across the entry in the 1946 Theatre Organ Worldpublication, and if you would like it I can also copy you anexcellent photo from that book.
Hopethis helps but I just felt that a very important part of his lifestory (appears) to be missing. There are shots of him on the Internetwith Adelaide Hall.
AlanAshtonwww.organradio.com
Theinformation, photos and .mp3 files which Alan Ashton has brought toour attention have been posted today at the Fela Sowande and Audiopages at AfriClassical.com. The new audio samples of Fela Sowandeplaying the Hammond organ are SierraSue (3:09);Goodnight (3:12);and Deep Purple (5:41). Three new paragraphs have been added to the Fela Sowande web page,Paragraphs 10Adelaide Hall; 11BBCTheatre Organand 12TheatreOrgan World.
AfriClassicaland AfriClassical.com are very grateful to Alan Ashton for theopportunity to let readers hear three popular tunes which FelaSowande played professionally on the Hammond organ. We also thankhim for the stunning photo of Fela Sowande in white tie, the ASV LPalbum cover art, and the entry on Fela Sowande in the 1946Theatre Organ World.
Flutronix.comNathalieJoachim and Allison Loggins-Hull are Flutronix
CarolWincenc on Flutronix (1:37)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgdkL6kpSUo&feature=youtu.be
"Juilliard professor andworld-renowned flute soloist Carol Wincenc on why she loves Flutronixand supports our ALL or NOTHING Kickstartercampaign!!"
On the video Prof. Wincenc says: "They are the epitome of innovation and I can't say enough about what Flutronix has done for the education world, the performance world, their vast diversity of styles of composition..."
Nkeiru Okoye (John Marin, New York Times)
Voices Shouting Out by Nkeiru Okoye
Tedd Griepentrog writes:
Bill,
Thanks for posting our concert! Please note that the Columbia Orchestra performance is at the Jim Rouse Theatre at Wilde Lake HS in Columbia, MD. (Our offices are at the Howard Co Center for the Arts).
Tedd
Tedd GriepentrogExecutive Director
The Columbia OrchestraHoward County Center for the Arts8510 High Ridge RdEllicott City MD 21043
Email: execdir@columbiaorchestra.orgWebsite: www.columbiaorchestra.org
An illustration of that gap came just two weeks ago, when Palin’s church, the Wasilla Bible Church, gave its pulpit over to a figure viewed with deep hostility by many Jewish organizations: David Brickner, the founder of Jews for Jesus.
Palin’s pastor, Larry Kroon, introduced Brickner on Aug. 17, according to a transcript of the sermon on the church’s website.
“He’s a leader of Jews for Jesus, a ministry that is out on the leading edge in a pressing, demanding area of witnessing and evangelism,” Kroon said.
[ . . . . ] Brickner also described terrorist attacks on Israelis as God's "judgment of unbelief" of Jews who haven't embraced Christianity.
Follow along closely, this could get a little confusing.
Rule No. 1 in attracting customers: make sure they know you're there.The Grand Trunk Pub might be more known for its huge selection of brews, but there's one menu item you've got to try the next time you're down on Woodward at lunch time. We never pass up the chance to indulge in a bowl of the Trunk's Shepherd's Pie, a heaping helping of mashed potatoes, corn and seasoned beef topped with a thin layer of cheese. It's good eatin'. 