SAT SEP 23 2017 / 8PM
The Blind Boys of Alabama with Ben Heppner CHAN CENTRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS AT UBC
“Music can get in the heart. I know
it can do that. I’ve seen it melt people. Perhaps it can change people. We’ve come a long way from the Bull Connor days, but we still have a long way to go. Music is universal. I know that. You can be an atheist or an agnostic, and you can still love pretty music.” – Jimmy Carter (Alabama Media Group, 2013)
The Blind Boys of Alabama with Ben Heppner PRESENTED BY THE CHAN CENTRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
Pre-show Artist Talk with Ben Heppner 7pm, Chan Shun Concert Hall General admission seating Moderated by Michael Juk Concert 8pm, Chan Shun Concert Hall Assigned seating The Blind Boys of Alabama
Jimmy Carter vocals Ben Moore vocals Paul Beasley vocals Joey Williams lead guitar, vocals Ray Ladson bass Austin Moore drums Peter Levin organ Ben Heppner tenor Mel Bowker piano
Ben Heppner, accompanied by pianist Mel Bowker, will perform a short set to open the evening. Following this set there will be a brief technical pause, and then a longer presentation by The Blind Boys of Alabama with Ben Heppner featured on some of their songs. There will be no formal intermission during this evening’s performance. Please remember to turn off your phones, and note that photography and recording are not permitted. Thank you!
The Blind Boys of Alabama Hailed as “gospel titans” by Rolling Stone, the Blind Boys of Alabama first rose to fame in the 1930s segregated south with their thrilling vocal harmonies and roof-raising live show. Touring during the Jim Crow era of the 1940s and 1950s, the Blind Boys flourished thanks to their unique sound, which blended the close harmonies of early jubilee gospel with the more fervent improvisations of hard gospel. In the early 1960s, the band sang at benefits for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and were a part of the soundtrack to the civil rights movement. Their 70-year recording career has seen them rack up five GRAMMY Awards (plus one for Lifetime Achievement), enter the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, collaborate with everyone from Mavis Staples and Stevie Wonder to Prince and Lou Reed, and perform on the world’s most prestigious stages. In 2002 they backed Peter Gabriel on his album Up and joined him on a world tour, although a bigger break may have come when David Simon chose their cover of Tom Waits’ ‘Way Down in the Hole’ as the theme song for the first season of HBO’s acclaimed series The Wire. In 2013 the band worked with Justin Vernon (of Bon Iver) to release I’ll Find A Way, a powerful collection of gospel and spiritual songs new and old, featuring some of the Blind Boys’ most emotional vocals as well as contributions by a new generation of Blind Boys fans, including Merrill Garbus of Tune-Yards, and Patty Griffin. The New York Times said that they “came to epitomize what is known as jubilee singing, a livelier breed of gospel music,” adding that “they made it zestier still by adding jazz and blues idioms and turning up the volume, creating a sound…like the rock ‘n’ roll that grew out of it.” TIME Magazine raved that “they’re always hunting for - and finding - the perfect note or harmony that lifts an old tune into the sublime,” while The Washington Post praised their “soul-stirring harmonies” and “range of cross-genre collaborations,” and The New Yorker simply called them “legendary.” “When the Blind Boys started out, we weren’t even thinking about all these accolades and all that stuff,” founding member Jimmy Carter (who still leads the group) told NPR. “We just wanted to get out and sing gospel and tell the world about gospel music.” Mission accomplished!
ALMOST HOME The Blind Boys of Alabama’s latest album Almost Home, released in August 2017, recounts the band’s remarkable journey, primarily through original songs written for them by an outstanding collection of artists including Valerie June, the North Mississippi Allstars, Phil Cook, John Leventhal, Marc Cohn, Ruthie Foster, and others.
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“These men were raised as blind, African American males in the Deep South during the Jim Crow years, and they were sent to a school where the expectation for them was to one day make brooms or mops for a living,” says Blind Boys manager Charles Driebe. “But they’ve transcended all that. The arc of their lives and of the band reflects the arc of a lot of changes in American society, and we wanted to find a way to capture their experiences in songs.” So Driebe went on a pilgrimage with a film crew in tow, recording wide-ranging interviews with Fountain and Carter at their homes in Baton Rouge and Birmingham, pressing deep into their memories of their improbable route to success and the changing, sometimes-hostile world they had to navigate along the way. The interviews were then distilled down into 30-minute videos and shared with a variety of songwriters who were invited to channel Carter and Fountain’s words and reminiscences into song. With nearly 50 tracks submitted for consideration, the producers and the band had a sea of material to sift through. They were searching for more than just great songs, though. The music needed to speak directly and authentically to the Blind Boys’ soul. The result is Almost Home, a 12-track collection that captures the band’s singular spirit and pulls off the masterful feat of looking backwards while still sounding as vital and modern as ever.
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Ben Heppner tenor Ben Heppner is renowned worldwide for his portrayals in the dramatic tenor repertoire. His illustrious career has taken him to opera stages and concert halls around the world. He is acclaimed for the beauty of his voice, incisive musicianship, and his generosity with audiences. His performances on the opera stage, in concert with the world’s leading orchestras, in the most prestigious recital venues, and in recordings have set new standards in his demanding repertoire. In his youth, Heppner sang hymns and gospel music in church in Dawson Creek, BC, and continued his artistic journey studying music at the University of British Columbia. He went on to win the 1988 Metropolitan Opera Auditions, launching an illustrious career that has taken him to prestigious venues including La Scala, Covent Garden, Vienna State Opera, the Salzburg Festival, and the Paris Opera, to name a few. Heppner reigned in the opera world for a decades-spanning career, during which he took on the most challenging roles, from Wagner’s Tristan and Lohengrin to Verdi’s Otello and Berlioz’s Aeneas. Heppner’s performances in many of these ambitious roles have garnered him numerous awards and distinctions: appointment as a Companion of the Order of Canada, two JUNO Awards, an International Emmy Award, and a GRAMMY Award. He retired from the regular opera circuit in 2014, but continues to offer his voice to new projects and collaborations, in addition to hosting two CBC radio shows: Saturday Afternoon at the Opera and Backstage with Ben Heppner. Heppner first performed at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts in the inaugural 1997-98 concert season, just months after the centre opened its doors to the public. Twenty years later the UBC alumnus returns to the Chan Shun Concert Hall stage, and to his gospel roots, for a special evening in celebration of the Chan Centre’s 20th anniversary season.
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Exploring the role of the arts and artists in society. chancentre.com/connects
Pre-show Artist Talk with Ben Heppner 7pm: Chan Shun Concert Hall In conversation with CBC senior music producer Michael Juk, Ben Heppner chats about his early days singing gospel, how he got his start in opera right here at the University of British Columbia, and what has been an incredibly varied and illustrious career in music that has taken him around the world. Seating for the pre-show artist talk is general admission and available on a first come, first served basis. Please note you must return to the assigned seat indicated on your ticket for the 8pm concert. Special thanks to CBC executive producer Denise Ball.
Kate Evans: Threads
FRI SEP 29 2017 / 7:30pm I Telus Studio Theatre Graphic novelist and activist Kate Evans’ visual reportage from the Calais refugee camp in France, accompanied by live music.
chancentre.com
Celebrating 20 Years The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts opened its doors in 1997, and this season we’re celebrating 20 years! Visit our anniversary archives at chancentre.com for memorable stories and never-before-seen photos from two decades of world class performance.
Heart of the University By Jennifer Van Evra When Santa J. Ono became the 15th President and Vice Chancellor of the University of British Columbia in 2016, his official installation ceremony was held at the Chan Centre. But Ono did more than take the usual Oath of Office: he also provided some of the event’s music, playing cello in a trio on the Chan Shun Concert Hall stage. “I know first-hand, not just as an audience member but as a musician, what it sounds like to project from that stage, and it’s really easy to fill it with a single instrument,” says Ono, who also performed as part of UBC’s 2017 spring graduation ceremonies. “The acoustics are so fantastic.” The building was specifically designed to look discreet and unassuming, but it has become what Ono calls “the heart of the university” — a focal point for music, theatre, film and ceremonies. It’s an essential asset for students and faculty; but importantly, it’s also one that attracts the wider community. “Thousands of individuals from Vancouver and the Lower Mainland know UBC because they stepped foot in the Chan Centre,” says Ono. He especially appreciates the understated elegance of the building on the UBC landscape and its seamless integration with the nature that surrounds it. “It’s really a welcome mat for the university.”
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PHOTO: Ema Peter
Dean of Arts Gage Averill agrees. He says that, in addition to being a busy hub for The Faculty of Arts, the Chan Centre has exposed generations of arts students to performers, authors, and speakers, both local and international, who continually move and inspire. “We have this unique relationship where this hall is a part of an academic mission on campus, and yet it also brings in artists so that our students, faculty, staff and our communities can experience the quality of the arts,” he says. “That’s something that’s dear to my heart, and it’s important to keep that balance as a part of the life of this institution.” The centre has become so tightly woven into the cultural fabric of the university and the larger region, it’s easy to forget how rare such facilities are in academic settings. In fact, the majority of the world’s most esteemed institutions don’t have anything that can compare, so it has added to UBC’s prestige. “It’s a pillar of what we do as an institution, and I’m so grateful that Tom and Caleb Chan and their family, Bing Thom, and former UBC president David Strangway had the vision, the persistence and the dedication to build such an amazing facility,” says Ono. “It was an exceptional group of people who had bold ideas about the part a performing arts centre could play. And they made it happen.” Read more stories like this at chancentre.com.
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The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at UBC Joyce Hinton Cameron McGill Carl Armstrong Wendy Atkinson Lloyd Balser Laura Busby Brad Danyluk Kara Gibbs David Humphrey Flora Lew Glenda Makela Trevor Mangion Chloe Martin-Cabanne Veronica Maynard Caitlin McKee Claire Mohun George Pereira Andrew Riter Nadia Roberts Lyndsey Roberts
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Members of Cupe 2950 Front of House, Stage, and Ticketing Staff Taryn Plater
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“The music we do is weaved together through stories and life experiences. When people
The Chan Centre would like to thank our 2017/2018 series sponsors: come to hear us, I hope they are uplifted The Chan Endowment Fund and the UBC Faculty of Arts
and that we give them a lot to take home.” – Dianne Reeves (San Diego Union-Tribune, 2016)
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Upcoming Events at the Chan Centre Full details at chancentre.com
Sep 29 at 7:30pm: Kate Evans: Threads Presented by the Chan Centre as part of the Beyond Words series in the Telus Studio Theatre
Oct 1 at 3pm: Yekwon Sunwoo, 15th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition Winner Presented by the Vancouver Recital Society Oct 6 at 8pm: UBC Bands Presented by the UBC School of Music Oct 8 at 2pm: Vancouver International Music Competition Gala Concert Presented by the Canada International Arts & Music Society
Oct 12 at 12pm + Oct 13 at 8pm: UBC Symphony Orchestra Presented by the UBC School of Music
Oct 14 at 7pm: Just For Laughs Canadian Comedy Tour with Sugar Sammy Presented by Just For Laughs
Oct 15 at 7pm: The Gloaming Presented by the Chan Centre Oct 18 at 8pm: HUDSON: Jack DeJohnette, Larry Grenadier, John Medeski, John Scofield Presented by Coastal Jazz Oct 20 + 21 at 8pm: Angela Cheng plays Ravel Presented by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
The Gloaming
“The music we do is weaved together through stories and life experiences. When people come to hear us, I hope they are uplifted and that we give them a lot to take home.” – Dianne Reeves (San Diego Union-Tribune, 2016)
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CHAN CENTRE PRESENTS SERIES The Blind Boys of Alabama with Ben Heppner I SEP 23 The Gloaming I OCT 15 Zakir Hussain and Dave Holland: Crosscurrents I OCT 28 Ruthie Foster, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and Carrie Rodriguez I NOV 8 The Jazz Epistles: Abdullah Ibrahim and Hugh Masekela I FEB 18 Lila Downs I MAR 10 Daymé Arocena and Roberto Fonseca I APR 15 Circa: Opus I APR 28
BEYOND WORDS SERIES Kate Evans: Threads I SEP 29 Tanya Tagaq and Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory I MAR 16+17
SUBSCRIPTIONS ON SALE NOW! SAVE UP TO 25%
DAYMÉ AROCENA ZAKIR HUSSAIN
DAVE HOLLAND
RUTHIE FOSTER
JIMMIE DALE GILMORE
CARRIE RODRIGUEZ
chancentre.com