It was an unscripted moment which I did not foresee.  With Terrance Lane (Minister of Music at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church) conducting from a podium, the audience for ‘Suitable Airs’ XI was participating in a spirited sing-along segment that has become a tradition at these annual concerts.   The last of four tunes on the songsheet was the old standard “We Shall Overcome” — a virtual anthem to anyone familiar with the mid-twentieth century era of struggle for civil rights in America. Soon after the song was raised, members of the audience rose to their feet  and — with crossed arms and linked hands — began swaying back forth in the familiar gesture of solidarity.  Within minutes the entire audience had joined in the ritual; every person linked to someone else.  Once again, the American Negro spiritual song had done its work of unifying and strengthening the human family.

I have a need to publicly thank each individual who contributed to the success of ‘Suitable Airs’ XI.  Our entire cast of artists turned in stellar performances.  My staff co-workers made the hours of preparation seem easy and enjoyable.  The Board of Directors cannot be lauded enough for the leadership they gave to the project. Our presenting, underwriting and sponsoring patrons saw to it that this would be the most profitable benefit concert event in our history to date. The leadership and congregation at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church flung open  their doors  to welcome the entire community with a gracious  hospitality.  A small army of volunteer ‘angels’ took care of the myriad small details that keep things from going off the rails  before and during a major undertaking.  And a remarkably diverse group of folk left other things behind to come and spend the evening with us as an audience.  I am deeply grateful.

With ‘Suitable Airs’ behind us, we return to the task of ensuring that our agency remains viable in order to fulfill its mission; no easy feat  these days.  If you wonder how we pass the time when not making beautiful music, the laundry list should be familiar to you by now: convincing present benefactors to continue investing in us, planning a total of nine vocal competitions nationwide,  cultivating new individuals as donors in support of our program, scrambling to acquire and move into long-term operating quarters ASAP, writing and defending grant applications for major program initiatives, working with collaborative partners such as the Orlando Philharmonic on a pending  operatic project, adding new forces to our board ranks, working with a local high school to audit its music library, increasing the number of  contributing annual members (Funding Friends) dramatically, working to implement an afterschool vocal academy for senior high school students in Orange County, vying for increased corporate funding to support our direct service projects, and guiding our own GRADY-RAYAM vocalists through a season of activity for their musical and personal development. Oh, and did I mention raising money in any of that?

Seriously, if you have not been involved with us before and are willing to invest dollars or time in a good program that makes a difference, please contact me or any Board member to let us know of your interest.  Walking hand in hand, we can overcome.

In earnest,

Rudi Cleare