Do you remember the last time the sound of a saxophone made you cry?
That was what happened to the majority of the crowd within the first ten minutes of Glory to Glory, the latest installment of the Solange Knowles and Saint Heron curated concert series, Eldorado Ballroom, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) on Friday. Renowned gospel saxophonist Angélla Christie performed a medley of familiar gospel hyms to open the night. She was joined only by a pianist who both had the crowd rising to their feet and hollering praises of encouragement at their musical mastery to kick off the nearly three-hour-long show. The audience, which included fashion and music figures such as Raul Lopez, Telfar Clemens, and Steve Lacy, were in communal agreement throughout the evening; how lucky are we to be able to witness the genius of Solange's musical and curatorial ear.
The show was the fifth of six concerts taking place at BAM meant to celebrate the "women who have delivered Black praise through contemporary conventions in spiritual and devotional music" throughout the decades. Earlier this week, neo-R&B artist Kelela performed a sold out show, followed by a live scored screening from Puerto Rican Marxist film group titled "Unseen Nuyorican Pictures". Glory to Glory was shaped to celebrate the beauty of the Black divine and how our voices, our instrumentation, and of course faith, have helped us prevail throughout time.
The night continued on with tributes to the late, famed jazz composer (turned devout Catholic) Mary Lou Williams, including a chilling performance from the Choir Voices of Harlem, conducted by New York Philharmonic Choral director Malcolm J. Merriweather as well as a room-commanding recital of "A Fungus Amungus" from concert pianist Artina McCain. The walls of the Howard Gilman Opera House were a safe space to praise—regardless of who or what you believe in—especially ahead of a noteworthy holiday for so many. This weekend marks the rare occurrence when Easter, Passover, and Ramadan all coincide, which only happens a mere three times each century.
The evening concluded with a rousing performance courtesy of the "Queen of the B3 Hammond Organ", singer, songwriter, and producer Twinkie Clark alongside the First Ladies of Gospel themselves, The Clark Sisters. Twinkie, Jacky, Dorinda, and Karen all took the stage in flowing black gowns courtesy of Issey Miyake's Pleats Please hand-selected by Solange. (The women of the Choir Voices of Harlem and Artina McCain were also wearing Pleats Please for the evening, while the men of the evening wore Homme Pliseé Issey Miyake.)
“Issey Miyake’s designs have always created iconography. The Clark Sisters are iconic. Their designs added such a compelling visual element to the evening," Solange shared with BAZAAR. "We are so thrilled to have their work featured in this performance and grateful for the opportunity to bring the power of devotional music to life.”
In between their famous renditions of "Jesus Is a Love Song" and "Is My Living In Vain", the sisters took time repeatedly throughout their set to express their gratitude to Solange—and the crowd—for not just providing them a space to perform that evening but also for the support of their work over the years. It was clear that the evening was a night not only about celebration but also preservation, something Saint Heron continues to prioritize in their anticipated community-driven events. Solange's careful curation of the entire week's programming was an ode to not only how sound has shaped Black and Brown culture, but more importantly how Black and Brown artistry continuously endures the test of time.
Bianca Betancourt is the culture editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com, where she covers all things film, TV, music, and more. When she's not writing, she loves impulsively baking a batch of cookies, re-listening to the same early-2000s pop playlist, and stalking Mariah Carey's Twitter feed.
