Voices in Unity, the 75 member choir of Unity of New York, with guests Spiritus vocal ensemble, Broadway's Chuck Cooper, Rosena Hill, Donna McKechnie and spoken word artist Gha'il Rhodes Benjamin, will present their 10th anniversary concert at Peter Norton Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway at 95th Street on Monday, November 16th at 7:30 PM. Voices in Unity shares their musical diversity with selections ranging from Gospel to Broadway and Pop to Jazz The concert is put together by Music Director Britt Hall, who creates repertoire, dynamic medleys and selects guest artists to perform with the choir.
The choir is part of the highly acclaimed music ministry of Unity of New York, A Spiritual Center for Creative Living which meets at Symphony Space each Sunday morning at 11:00 AM. The center was founded by Paul Tenaglia, who has been minister/spiritual leader since its inception in 1999. Prior to his ministerial background Paul was an actor/ dancer/ singer/ choreographer who performed in the United States and Canada. Unity of New York is attended by people of all walks of life but appeals greatly to those in the performing arts. As a result Voices in Unity is comprised of a mix of professional performers as well as non-professionals who have been chosen for their natural gifts in music. Voices in Unity has performed in two previous concerts at Symphony Space as well as being featured at spiritual leader Amma's (known as the hugging saint) recent visit to New York City. They have performed for the memorial service of long-time Unity member & teacher Ruth Warrick (All My Children) and been featured at Town Hall. Voices in Unity is known for their diverse selections and ability to bring a song to life. They perform with equal mastery songs from shows like A CHORUS LINE and FIDDLER ON THE ROOF a nd traditional and Gospel versions of inspirational songs like Joyful, Joyful.
Britt Hall, Voices in Unity's Music Director, has been the Music Director of the group since its inception. Britt has performed in theatrical productions in New York and around the United States and is a founding member of Spiritus, the nationally-known Manhattan Transfer style vocal ensemble who also calls Unity of New York its home. Spiritus currently has a self-titled CD release, and on the night of the Voices in Unity concert will perform numbers from their new CD, We Are One, which will be released that evening. The latest CD, recorded in Nashville, was produced by Grammy winning producer Steve Ivey. Spiritus is comprised of Steven Bogard, Toni Condos-Bennett, Antonio Edwards, Jeffrey Elsass, Pamm Hamilton, Zoë Lyons, Marieann Meringolo, Rochelle Small, Russ Williams and director Britt Hall, each of whom have individual solo careers but who come together to form this unique and dynamic ensemble.
Unity of New York draws to it many stars who joyfully donate their talents to their Sunday gatherings and concerts. Among the celebrities that have graced the stage of Unity are Donna McKechnie, Stephen Schwartz, David Friedman, Chuck Cooper, Joanne Worley, Ben Vereen, Malcolm Gets, Ernestine Jackson, David Sabella, Luba Mason to name just a few. Voices in Unity concerts always include guest appearances by Broadway stars. Already confirmed is Rosena Hill who has appeared in seven Broadway productions including starring as the Lady of the Lake in Spamelot. She also has recently she made her Carnegie Hall debut. Tony award winners Chuck Cooper (The Life, and in the current Broadway production of Finian's Rainbow), and Donna McKechnie (A Chorus Line) will also be making appearances in the concert.
In addition to singing, The Divine Gypsies, the dance troupe of Unity of New York, will be featured in the concert. Each one of the dancers has been featured in productions in New York and around the country. Voices in Unity also includes an Outreach program which features members of the choir. This group goes to hospices and hospitals to bring the joy of music to people who are not able to attend outside performances. The Outreach singers raised money for the Food Bank of New York at a concert last year at The Triad Cabaret and features cabaret and popular songs as well as spiritual music. They also perform at Unity of New York services creating harmonic versions of songs of groups like the Beach Boys and the Beatles. The combination of the large choir sound, solos, dance and spoken word makes the Unity of New York concerts remarkable evenings of entertainment. Tickets are now on sale .
Tickets are available at Symphony Space 212-864-5400 or online at
www.symphonyspace.org with prices starting at $20.
