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A special
event…
Penn Park Free Community Concert
Venue: Penn Park
Saturday, June 24, 2023
4:00 p.m.
Admission: This concert is free and open to the public.
A free community event!
Join the Madison Symphony Orchestra in collaboration with Mt. Zion Gospel Choir and Associate Conductor Kyle Knox for a free community concert at Penn Park. Bring the family for an afternoon at the park with live music and food trucks!
FAQ
When can I arrive?
Claim your spot on the lawn beginning at 2:30 p.m.!
What can I bring?
Ideas include blankets, lawn chairs, a picnic lunch, outside food or beverages (no glass containers, please), sunscreen, hats, and water.
Will food and drink be available?
We will have three food trucks on site from approximately 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. More details to be announced soon.
Where can I park?
There is neighborhood street parking available. We encourage carpooling if possible! Or, you can take any Madison city bus to the South Transfer Point — Penn Park is just a 10 minute walk away.
Are there any age restrictions?
No! Bring the whole family to enjoy the afternoon with us!
Will the concert have an intermission?
No. The concert will last approximately one hour, from 4:00-5:00 p.m.
Program
Antonín Dvořák, American Suite in A major, Movement I
Timothy Wright/Leotha Stanley, Trouble Don’t Always Last
Jill Jackson/Leotha Stanley, Let There be Peace on Earth
Orlanda Draper/Leotha Stanley, Praise the Lord Everybody
Florence Price, Symphony No. 1, Movements III & IV
Giuseppe Verdi, Overture to La forza del destino
William Grant Still, Symphony No. 1, Movement III
Aaron Copland, Dance Episodes from Rodeo, Movements III & IV
Featuring
Kyle Knox, Associate Conductor
Mount Zion Gospel Choir, Tamera and Leotha Stanley, Directors
Meet the Performers
Kyle Knox, Conducting
Mount Zion Gospel Choir
Concert Sponsors
Barbara and Norm Berven
Media Sponsor
In-Kind Donors
Under the direction of Leotha (Lee) and Tamera Stanley, the Mt Zion Gospel Choir is known for its ability to infuse traditional gospel harmonies with vigor, joy, and inspiration. With a reputation as one of the best gospel choirs in Wisconsin, the Mt. Zion Gospel Choir have wowed Madison residents for decades with their vocal precision and exuberant style. For over thirty years, the choir has combined jazz, blues, and gospel harmonies to “raise the roof” in captivating and inspiring performances throughout Wisconsin.
The choir has been a beloved featured guest of the Madison Symphony Orchestra’s Christmas concerts for 17 years. The choir has also appeared recently with the UW-Madison Marching Band, in a concert for Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and in tours in both Germany and France. They have sung with music legends Michael Bolton, Yolanda Adams, Lyle Lovett, and the Blind Boys of Alabama.
The Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Madison, Wisconsin serves as home base for the choir. Additional choirs at Mt. Zion include a women’s choir, men’s choir, and children’s choir. Leotha Stanley has been the musical director for thirty-four years and considers gospel music “first love.” He comments, “I love gospel music. I love the inspiration and message it gives people.”
Stanley began playing piano and drums at age five and became the pianist at his neighborhood church in Milwaukee at age thirteen. He recalls, “I got $10 for every funeral.” As a freshman at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, he founded a gospel choir, which became his path to Mt. Zion.