Making the African-American Spiritual accessible for all people ages 4 to 94. The African-American Spiritual: hidden no more!
Who We Are
Arch Angel Productions wants to present/give context to 20th and 21st century arrangements of African-American spirituals for a wide & diverse public, and to encourage engagement with these spirituals as consumers, performers, students, and educators.
Because of its association first with the horrors and humiliation of slavery, then later with the elitism and formality of classical music, the African-American spiritual has been relegated to an “outsider” status in popular American culture. This is in total contradiction to the genre’s creation, evolution & relevance to America’s current state of affairs. When presented in a format consonant with its’ actual history, the spiritual is a powerful lens and entry point looking both backwards and forward into the historical black experience.
Mission & Vision Statement
Mission
To increase public awareness & ownership of the African-American spirituals, folk material, and art work that constitute the performance repertoire in the 20th and 21st century.
Through concerts, residences, seminars, in-person and online performances, Arch Angel Productions is looking to foster active engagement with our spirituals through working with schools, universities, churches, & art societies.
Arch Angel Productions looks to put the African-American spiritual at the forefront of the public discussion about race and race relations as it pertains to our collective moral & spiritual enhancement via the universal message embedded in all artistic experiences.
Vision
Love & Hope for a United Humanity
Team Members
We look forward to working on your next project. Send us an email today.
Roy Jennings
Board of Directors: Founder & Artistic Director
Roy Jennings is the founder and artistic director of Arch Angel Productions a NJ nonprofit Corporation for the presentation of African-American concert music, and arts/education projects. Its’ special emphasis is the African-American Spiritual. He was formerly Assistant Minister of Music at the world-renowned Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem where he served as a musician for 25 years. Many of his compositions were created and first performed during his tenure at Abyssinian.
As a choral conductor and through his work at the Abyssinian Baptist Church, Roy Jennings has presented and collaborated with two of the giants in the field of choral arrangements of African-American spirituals, Roland Carter (2005) and the late composer/pianist Moses Hogan (2002). The Forever-Amen Choral ensemble during its’ 15-year history united with choral singers from across the country in the performance and presentation of this great literature, from Edward Boatner to Joseph Joubert.
Appearances at symposia and conferences as performer and lecturer on behalf of the Music of African-American composers and arrangers of spirituals has afforded Mr. Jennings the opportunity to advocate on behalf of this literature’s inclusion in the canon of American concert repertoire. His recent appearances have been at Queens College for a solo Masterclass and a number of choral practice and performance sessions, before the Amistad Commission of New Jersey, and for The African-American Art Song Alliance in Irvine, California.
Mr. Jennings has arranged a variety of hymns, spirituals, and art songs for solo voice and piano. For more information about Roy Jennings see: www.roy-jennings.com
Contact Us
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492C Cedar Lane
Box 301
Teaneck, New Jersey 07666
