François Clemmons, founder of the Harlem Spiritual Ensemble, will give a Martin Luther King Jr. Day concert at 8 p.m., Monday, Jan. 20, in All Saints’ Chapel. The concert will follow the community potluck and celebration in the Bishop’s Common. (See page 6 for a full list of MLK events.)
Clemmons was formerly artist in residence and director of the Martin Luther King Spiritual Choir at Middlebury College. He is a professionally trained operatic tenor who is perhaps best known for the role of Officer Clemmons, a friendly neighborhood policeman, on the children’s television show “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.”
Born in Birmingham, Ala., Clemmons first learned of the joy of song from his mother, who sang traditional spirituals as she worked around the house. After earning his master’s degree at Carnegie Mellon University, Clemmons joined the company of the Metropolitan Opera Studio, playing more than 70 classical and opera roles around the world. He has performed his favorite role, Sportin’ Life in “Porgy and Bess,” more than 200 times and earned a Grammy award for his recording of that role.
Clemmons formed the Harlem Spiritual Ensemble to showcase the spirituals he first learned as a child. .He joined Middlebury College in 1997 and retired last spring as Alexander Twilight Artist in Residence and director of the Martin Luther King Spiritual Choir.
No comments:
Post a Comment