PRESS RELEASE
1 June 2006
New York, NY
THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING (CPB) FUNDS EVT EDUCATIONAL
PRODUCTIONS' CHORAL MUSIC DOCUMENTARY SERIES, “EVERY VOICE AND
SING!”
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) has provided a grant in excess
of $150,000.00 for completion of “EVERY VOICE AND SING!”, EVT
Educational Productions’ new 5-part radio documentary series on the
history and legacy of the Choral Music of Historically Black Colleges and
Universities.
Development of the series was made possible by a $50,000.00 grant from the
Ford Foundation.
The project is a collaborative production of EVT Educational Productions,
Inc., and JAZZ88.3FM WBGO Radio of Newark, New Jersey.
Michele Norris, the award-winning journalist and a host of National Public
Radio's “All Things Considered” is the series host and narrator,
and veteran Jazz pianist, arranger and composer Onaje Allan Gumbs provides
the musical arrangements and scoring for the radio series.
Said EVT Educational Productions President Eric V. Tait, Jr., “We are
extremely grateful that CPB has once again had the vision to fund another
multi-part series that addresses the cultural and historical contributions
of African Americans to the development of our country.”
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Ford Foundation also provided
the major funding for “Then I’ll Be Free To Travel Home,”
the landmark 13-part radio series on the history and legacy of the New York
African Burial Ground that was produced by EVT Educational Productions, Inc.
in 2003-2004.
This new series, “EVERY VOICE, AND SING!”, explores the
social/political context of the Civil War/Reconstruction era that brought
about the formation of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities
and their amazing Singing Groups.
The Series highlights the unique choral legacy of some of these learning
institutions, and traces the emotional and physical obstacles and triumphs
of those schools and their Vocal Touring Groups.
It will also look at the rise, alteration and re-invention of those HBCU
Singing Groups and the music they sang, and their related offshoots —
Gospel, Pop, Jazz and World-music — from Shirley Caesar and Aretha
Franklin, to Take 6 and Ladysmith Black Mambaso.
It culminates with a look at some current HBCU and other Choirs and Vocal
Groups, and the state of the music today.
The projected series release date is February 2007.
E V Tait, Jr. evted@verizon.net
212.694.2218
212.281.2456 (fax)
www.evted.org
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