Saturday, Feb. 11th, 7:00pm to 8:30pm
Albeit recognizable to arguably every American citizen and many throughout the world, Traditional Gospel Music’s historical roots have yet to be completely formalized, accepted, and studied. An intimate experience of this American genre in song, body movement, percussive rhythms, and piano, will shed light on this rarely appreciated American art form. From the pioneers of gospel music such as Thomas Dorsey, to the everlasting works of Richard Smallwood and Edward and Walter Hawkins, right up to contemporary artists such as Kirk Franklin and Walt Whitman, the Plattsburgh State Gospel Small Choir, under the Artistic leadership of Dr. Dexter L. Criss and Andrea D. Ogle, will create a unique musical experience from these gifted gospel artists and composers.
The Key’d Up Gospel Experience, with light percussion and harmonic voices, will focus heavily on how the piano influenced the evolution of Traditional Gospel Music to its current art form. Please join us on February 11th and 12th for a deeply moving and joyful concert experience curated specifically for Piano by Nature’s audience. We are thrilled to have this incredible Plattsburgh gem in our midst, and look forward to presenting two unforgettable concerts of profound ‘unity through song and harmony through people.’
The Hand House parlor will open half an hour prior to performance time, and we encourage attendees to arrive early to avoid lines at check-in. Tickets are $20 per person. Reservations are required and may be made through email at pianobynature@gmail.com or by phone at 518-962-8899. You may leave a message at either and seats will be obtained on a first-come-first-served basis. There will be no walk-ups available as our seating is limited.
PBN encourages the use of masks and sanitizer and will have both available at the concert.
PBN is also committed to serving our dedicated community, so when possible we will provide video recordings of the live concerts on our website throughout the season for those of you who choose to enjoy them at home. Thank you again for your generosity and continued support of our concerts and our fundraiser. We look forward to seeing you very soon at the Hand House.
This concert was featured in the February 1, 2023 issue of Lake Champlain Weekly in the article “Taking Them Home” by Benjamin Pomerance. Click any image in the gallery to view the article’s pages larger or download to read here.
About Plattsburgh State Gospel Choir (PSGC)
The Plattsburgh State Gospel Choir (PSGC) was organized in 1991 by students and has constantly emphasized the breadth and depth of gospel music in order to expose both SUNY Plattsburgh and the North Country to this unique American genre. The choir fuses traditional gospel, urban gospel, contemporary Christian music, European harmonies, Caribbean and Afrocentric rhythms and overtones, and it provides opportunities for Plattsburgh State students, alumni, faculty, staff, and persons from the local community to sing music from the gospel music traditions.
PSGC’s first performance in 1991 was for SUNY Plattsburgh’s Kent State/Jackson State memorial ceremony. Even to this day some 25 years later, the choir still presents musical selections in honor of those college students who lost their lives while protesting against Social Injustice. The choir’s founder, Zadine Richardson, and a few pioneering students, through prayer, hard work, and sheer determination, started the choir with a passion to maintain the gospel songs which gave them the strength and positive direction they desired while in college. Michelle Noble-Coursey and Zadine worked tirelessly until the gospel choir became a fully recognized Student Association club. Janet Saunders, SUNY Plattsburgh’s EOP Director, became the choir’s first advisor.
Dexter L. Criss leading the choir
In the mid-’90s and early 2000s, SUNY Plattsburgh’s EOP Director, Marlene Fields, became director/advisor of the choir, and Bishop Franklin Blanks, Jr. and Raymond Golden served as the primary musicians. The choir experienced tremendous spiritual growth and recognition during this time. Since 2001, Dexter Criss has served as the choir’s pianist, choir director, and now artistic director. From 2002 to 2012, Sally Urban served as the choir’s advisor. Andrea Ogle has served as the choir director since 2005. Jeff Wheel has served as the choir’s band leader since 2010 and Rosinda Anthony has served as choir advisor since 2016. In 2002, the choir added a Step Team, Praise Dance Team, and a Praise Team component to the choir. The Gospel Choir now bears academic credit as INT225. The choir released their debut CD in the Spring of 2003. Since then, they have released six other CDs and two DVDs. Several original pieces have been written by Dexter Criss and other students as well.
PSGC actively performs on campus, in the community, and throughout the region averaging 25 appearances each year. The choir sings at a variety of settings including colleges, campus events, K-12 schools, churches, memorial services, weddings, and other community events. In 2014, the choir participated in its first Gospel Choir Competition held at the University of Binghamton; among numerous other competing college choirs around New York State, our choir placed second. In the past years, the choir has performed in Burlington, Albany, New York City, Boston, Washington D.C., Little Rock/Stuttgart, Chicago, Montreal, Toronto, Tokyo, and St. Maarten/St. Martin.
The choir’s band members are exceptional musicians from the greater Plattsburgh and Burlington area. The choir has collaborated with trumpeter Ray Vega, gospel guru Darius Brooks, and clinicians such as Dr. Raymond Wise, Dr. Anthony Leach, and Ron Rucker of Japan among many others. The choir has appeared on several TV shows including the WORD Network and Mountain Lake PBS.
Please consider sending a donation to Piano by Nature to help us continue to support our artists and deliver exceptional live music to the North Country and beyond. You can mail a check to Piano by Nature, 32 Champlain Ave., Westport, NY 12993. Or donate online through the Donate button below (using your Paypal account or credit card). If you have questions or ideas, feel free to call Rose at 518.962.8899. I’d love to hear from you.
This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by the Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts. Our concerts are also made possible, in part, by the Essex County Arts Council’s Cultural Assistance Program Grant with funding provided by Essex County. We are so grateful to both for their continued support.