FOUNDING MEMBERS

The Sarah Sheppard Spirituals group was founded in Bologna, European City of Culture, in 1995 by Sergio Turra (Music Director), who holds a diploma in Pianoforte and Choral Music and Conducting, pianist, organist and arranger, and by Oreste Palamara (Artistic Director), graduate in Foreign Languages and Literature, vocal soloist and person in charge of organisation, publicity and the image of the group.

AN INTERNATIONAL AND MULTICULTURAL GROUP

The group performed its first concert in the month of May 1995 and became an Association in that same year. From its inception to now, the Association has had, among its members, singers from 43 different nations and cultures from all over the world, namely: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Ghana, Great Britain, Greece, Holland, Hungary, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Libya, Nigeria, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Rumania, Russia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Tunisia, Ukraine and the United States of America.

REPERTOIRE

The Sarah Sheppard Spirituals group is made up of singers and instrumentalists who principally perform European and North American liturgical music. Their repertoire principally consists of spirituals and gospels, protestant chorals, Christmas carols and music by American, British and Anglo-Saxon composers with solo voices, piano (or organ), a rhythmic section (with double bass and drums) and choreography.

REHEARSALS

Group rehearsals and other activities take place at the Sala Diana Franceschi, in Villa Aldrovandi Mazzacorati (Via Toscana 19, Bologna) which is run by the Comune of Bologna.

CONCERTS

The Sarah Sheppard Spirituals, up to now, have performed 168 concerts.  Almost all of these concerts were organised or sponsored by Institutional Bodies of the Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy, Tuscany, Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Trentino-Alto-Adige, Liguria and Piedmont regions.
One of these concerts was performed at the Abbey of Monteveglio for the National Amnesty International Conference; some others were organized by the Rotary International, Club of Lugo (RA), Club of Mirandola (MO) and Club of Feltre (BL). A complete list of all the Sarah Sheppard Spirituals concerts can be found on the concerts page.

CHOREOGRAPHY

According to the Afro-American tradition, the music of the Sarah Sheppard Spirituals is always accompanied by rhythmic movement and gesture appropriate to the location of the performance (church, theatre, open-air space).

CHURCHES

In churches a more intimate and meditative concert is performed, with voices, organ, double bass and drums.  At the beginning of the concert, Luther and Bach chorales are sung by the Choir, in order to highlight the link between the music and text of American gospels and spirituals, and the European Protestant tradition.

THEATRES - OPEN AIR

In theatres and in the open air the Sarah Sheppard Spirituals perform a more dynamic and theatrical concert, with voices, piano double bass and drums. Along with spirituals and gospels, bright and lively music by other principally American and British composers, such as Gershwin, Webber and Shaiman, are performed.

RECORDINGS

The Sarah Sheppard Spirituals group has produced and published two videos, a cassette and two CDs (the first recorded at a live concert, the second in the open air, the third, the fourth and the fifth studio recorded).

CONTACTS

The Sarah Sheppard Spirituals group is available for concerts and performances in different formations and adaptable according to the needs of the interested persons or bodies. For further information, and to ask for a free copy of our recordings, please call +39.051.370241 (office hours), or write to the Association's main office. In your first communication it is advisable to specify: (1) date of the concert, (2) location of the concert, if it is to be held in a church, in a theatre or in the open air; (3) desired formation.

THE ARTISTIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTION

The biographies of the people in charge of the artistic and administrative direction are found on the Laboratory page.