AMANI PEACE CONCERT

May 4, 2008

(Richmond, VA) – American Youth Harp Ensemble (AYHE) and Richmond area choirs join forces to present “Amani Peace Concert”, an African music collaboration benefiting the Grace Baptist Institute in Liberia.  The performance takes place on Sunday, May 4, at 2:30 p.m. at Grace Baptist Church, located at 4200 Dover Road, Richmond.  Tickets, which are $20 for adults and $10 for students and seniors, can be purchased in advance at Coppola’s Deli and at Plan 9 (both in Carytown) and, up to a week prior to the concert, by calling (804) 837-9355 or visiting online at www.harpensemble.org.

The Amani Peace Concert, imagined and organized by Lynnelle Ediger-Kordzaia, Artistic Director of the American Youth Harp Ensemble, lends the talents of the AYHE and four supporting choirs to this effort.    The AYHE hopes to raise over $10,000 for a Liberian school and its students.  AYHE harpists, a group of fifty students who range in age from five to eighteen, were immediately drawn to the challenge.  As part of their involvement with the American Youth Harp Ensemble, whose mission includes utilizing the harp as a catalyst for personal growth and community service,  the young harpists are encouraged and enabled to give back to the community through service activities such as mentoring less fortunate peers and performing in local hospitals, churches, and facilities for senior citizens.  They recognize that they can use their talents to impact the world around them and, for the harpists, the Amani Peace Concert represents not just a unique musical premiere but an opportunity to effect profound change on a global scale. 

For the event, the American Youth Harp Ensemble will collaborate with over 80 singers from the Richmond Montessori School Honors Choir, the Richmond Symphony Orchestra Chorus, the Baptist Theological Seminary Choir, and the Grace Baptist Church Choir to team up with the Ensemble and native African drummer Nana Frimpong for a two-hour extravaganza of harp, percussion, and voice. During the lively performance of traditional African works, the moving underlying story of Liberia and, specifically, Grace Baptist Institute is narrated by Broadway/Hollywood celebrity Jasmine Guy.  The concert also presents the world premiere of a newly commissioned African-style work, “African Reflections”, composed by Monika Stadler for the American Youth Harp Ensemble. This original composition transforms the rich classical tones of the harp into the unique timbres of the kora, a traditional African stringed instrument.

All proceeds of the concert will be donated to the Grace Baptist Institute in Liberia, a fragile, war-torn country about the size of Virginia on the west coast of Africa.  Liberia was formed by freed American slaves who began returning and resettling in Africa in 1822 and established a republic in 1847.  Starting in the 1980s, the country suffered several decades of authoritarian rule, civil unrest, and political instability.  Democratic elections in 2005 brought Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to power as president, but the country is still recovering and is largely dependent on international donations. 

In April, 2007, a partnership was established between Grace Baptist Institute, a kindergarten through ninth grade school for 650 students in Monrovia, the capital of Liberia, and Grace Baptist Church in Richmond.  Through its mission work, the church has committed to providing scholarships for Liberian boys and girls to attend the school.  The cost of one scholarship for one student for one year, including tuition as well as uniforms, books, and supplies is $120.  

Touched by the stories of students in Liberia, AYHE students were compelled to help. The AYHE is the premier youth ensemble of The HARPS Foundation, which offers an unparalleled opportunity for music instruction in the greater Richmond area and serves as national model for youth development. HARPS Foundation programs serve over 150 students from elementary, middle and high schools in central Virginia. The Foundation’s unique outreach and mentoring programs, in partnership with the Boys and Girls Club, Richmond City Parks and Recreation, Charles City County Public Schools and the Resources for Independent Living Center (a transitioning agency for students with disabilities), reach and impact a diverse local community.  More information about the American Youth Harp Ensemble and the upcoming concert is available by calling (804) 837-9355 or visiting www.harpensemble.org.