Soprano Quanda Johnson sings songs by Black composers with cello, djembe and dance at Friargate Quaker Meeting House, 6pm on 29 October. Entry is free.
A free concert of songs by Black composers will close Black History Month in York next week, with a soprano, a cellist, a djembe player and a dancer sharing the stage at the Friargate Quaker Meeting House.
BLACK: the Color of Velvet runs from 6pm to 7pm on Thursday 29 October. Entry is free, and the organisers are asking those who come to contribute towards Rhythms Northside, which they describe as a research project and archive of Blackness in Yorkshire and North East Britain.
Who is performing
The evening is led by soprano Quanda Johnson, an independent researcher in interdisciplinary cultural studies whose work covers global Blackness and performance activism. She is joined by:
- Hannabiell Sanders on djembe
- Samuel Robinson on cello
- Zinzile Marsh, improvisational embodied movement
The music is Black Art Song: classical song written by Black composers. Quanda Johnson calls it “an evening of songs by Black composers accompanied by cello, African drum, and dance”.
In the performer’s words
She describes the concert as a chance to “dive deep into the world of velvet black - a classical world full of rich improvisational sound”.
“This Black British History Month don’t miss out on a unique experience, all about the depth, heart, and classical soul of Blackness,” she wrote. She calls it “an unforgettable culmination to Black British History Month in York” and “a free community fundraising concert to raise awareness and support through contributions for Rhythms Northside”.
It is an in-person event.
Getting there and booking
The meeting house is on Friargate, YO1 9RL, near Clifford and Castlegate in the old city. Free places are booked through the event’s Eventbrite page, where booking closes at 5pm on the day.
For more on what is happening in the city this month, see our What’s On in York guide.
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