Free event | Registration encouraged for planning
Music has the power to change hearts — to change lives, to change everything.
On February 28, All Saints’ hosts Lift Every Voice! in honor of the 100th anniversary of Black History Month, welcoming Brandon Waddles.
An internationally respected conductor and scholar of Black music, Dr. Waddles brings deep expertise in the spiritual, gospel, and Black church traditions, with work spanning major ensembles and African American hymnals. Through choral readings, brief lectures, and conversation, he will trace the history of Black music — and explore what it asks of us now.
1–3 p.m.
Choral readings — think of it as a table read of new hymnal music and choral pieces — paired with short talks tracing the development of Black music from slavery plantations to Gospel churches and into the Civil Rights Movement.
3–5 p.m.
A panel conversation, open townhall, and community hymn sing to explore and celebrate the role of Black music in movements for social change and to advance the work of justice — and how we lift our voices in today’s world.
Panelists:
Dr. Waddles is a sought-after transcriber of Black gospel music. He served as a contributing editor for the One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism hymnal published by GIA Publications, Inc. Dr. Waddles’ scholarship on Black sacred music has been experienced in the halls of Harvard, Yale, Morehouse and Hampton, and most recently on American Black Journal as seen on PBS. Beyond the classical realm, as Music Director for Grammy award-winning recording artist Ledisi, Brandon has collaborated with the celebrated singer on multiple occasions, venturing from Carnegie Hall to the White House. The Ledisi Sings Nina concert series has witnessed performances with major national orchestras such as the LA Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, and Cincinnati Pops, among others. He recently experienced his Carnegie Hall conducting debut in concert with Ravi Coltrane and other luminaries of the jazz genre, celebrating the orchestral works of Alice Coltrane.
Robert Shipley is an assistant professor and director of Jazz Studies at Hope College, where he leads the college’s jazz ensembles, teaches jazz history and mentors the next generation of musicians. A Grammy-nominated versatile drummer and educator, Shipley has toured internationally for more than three decades, performing with Grammy-winning artists including Diana Ross, The Temptations, Natalie Cole and Chaka Khan. As both performer and teacher, he brings a deep understanding of the jazz tradition, balancing respect for its history with an openness to contemporary expression. He is the author of several widely used drum method books — Complete Drum Methods for the Well-Rounded Drummer, The Art of Commercial Drumming, and The Evolution of the Groove — which reflect his practical, holistic approach to musicianship.
Born and raised in Southern California, Mexican-American conductor, pianist and vocalist Eric D. Reyes seeks to make music that inspires hope, communicates beauty, and fosters unity. He serves as assistant professor of music and director of choral activities at Hope College in Holland, Michigan, where he leads the Chapel Choir, College Chorus, and VERITAS (TTBB), and founded the treble ensemble SPERA (SSAA). In 2022, Reyes pioneered ¡Canto!, a Latinx Vocal Intensive funded by the Mellon Foundation, designed to equip high school Latinx vocalists with resources to study and perform Latinx vocal music, in collaboration with Latin Americans United for Progress (LAUP), Dr. Sarah VandenBrink and Christina Krause. Reyes holds a doctorate in musical arts in choral conducting and a master of music in conducting from the University of Michigan, where he was a recipient of the Brehm Endowed Fellowship in Choral Conducting.
Since 2020, Jay Johnson, an Episcopal priest and theologian, has served as the rector of All Saints’ Parish in Saugatuck, MI. Before moving to Saugatuck, Jay served on the faculties of Pacific School of Religion and the Graduate Theological Union, in Berkeley, CA, for more than twenty-five years. During that time he served as the Programming Director of the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion at PSR and coordinated the school’s Certificate of Sexuality and Religion program, while also chairing the Theology and Ethics Department in the doctoral program of the GTU. He led efforts nationwide for marriage equality for same-sex couples and equipping faith communities in efforts to dismantle racism and advance ecological renewal.
A reception follows at 5 p.m.
By joining us, you will:
- Discover how Black music developed — and why it has fueled movements for justice
- Engage in thoughtful conversation about this moment in our country
- Raise your voice in shared song
No musical experience required.
