Soul Rocking Celebration on Sunday, June 5, 2011
at Spring Hill
Mark your calendars now--details will be posted later
South Berwick, ME—Sunday, June 5, 2011—The Roots and Gospel Project, a nonprofit, arts and cultural organization dedicated to uplifting those in need through music, will hold a fundraising Celebration of Roots and Gospel music on Sunday, June 5, 2011.
The event will take place at Spring Hill, a picturesque, modern function facility and restaurant located on 60 acres of rolling meadows and waterfront located at 117 Pond Road, South Berwick ME. Proceeds will go toward the Roots and Gospel mission of performing free outreach concerts at hospice, homeless shelters, nursing homes, rehab programs, jails, and other facilities that support those in need, and of educating audiences about the rich cultural history of gospel music.
“Whether someone goes to church or not, chances are gospel music has given them sustenance and comfort at some point in their life,” says Dawn Boyer, founder and Choir Director. “Many of us sing songs like ‘Amazing Grace’ or ‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot’ and have no idea where they came from. ‘Amazing Grace,’ for instance, was written by a white slave trader who, historians say, took the melody from a song the slaves on his ship were singing below. He swore he would change his ways after his ship almost sank in a storm. And ‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot’ was written for Harriet Tubman, who was known as ‘Old Chariot’ and actually sang it on her deathbed.”
With its raise-the-rafters style, Rock My Soul, a 25-member secular choir and four-piece band, has garnered an ever-growing following and performed to packed houses throughout New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Maine. The group has received critical acclaim and has been featured on WMUR-TV’s NH Chronicle, WSCH TV’s 207, and MBPN. One of its songs was featured in a 2009 PBS documentary entitled Freedom Songs: Music of the Civil Rights Movement.
The Rock My Soul Quintet features five singers from the choir plus musicians. The group specializes in various styles of gospel, including Appalachian/white southern, blues, and jubilee with rich four-part harmony.
The Roots and Gospel Project is dedicated to raising awareness of and educating audiences about American gospel music and its positive impact on our history and culture. In performing the songs and describing the history behind them, the group hopes to lift hearts, open minds, and bring people closer together to understand the meaning of peace, equality, respect, unity, and justice.
