Join the Faculty of Music Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Office for a free screening of The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel which will take place in person at the faculty, with the option to attend via livestream. It will be followed by a talk with Dr. Darren Hamilton, Professor of Music Education and founding director of the faculty’s Gospel Choir, and renowned vocal artist Patricia Shirley. We’ll also have time for a mini workshop on singing in the gospel style! More information about Dr. Hamilton and Patricia is available below.
Directed by Christine Swanson and written by Sylvia L. Jones and Camille Tucker, “The Clark Sisters” tells the story of the highest-selling female gospel group in history, and their trailblazing mother, Mattie Moss Clark. Credited with bringing gospel music to the mainstream, the five sisters rose from humble beginnings in Detroit to achieve international fame, solidifying their legacy as gospel music icons.
Speakers:
Dr. Darren Hamilton is an Assistant Professor of Music Education in the Faculty of Music and founding director of the faculty’s Gospel Choir. His research focuses on formal gospel music pedagogy, popular music pedagogy, hip hop music education, anti-Black racism in music education and equity, diversity, and social justice in music education. His work has been published in the Canadian Music Educator and the Recorder journals, produced by the Canadian Music Educators’ Association and the Ontario Music Educators’ Association (OMEA), respectively. He is the visionary and co-author of the national MusiCounts Learn teacher resource, #BlackMusicMatters: Hip Hop & Social Justice in Canada. Dr. Hamilton has been a guest lecturer, workshop presenter and panelist for events hosted by MusiCounts, the OMEA, the University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University, York University, the University of Toronto, Choral Canada, the International Society of Music Education, and several Ontario district school boards. In 2022, Dr. Hamilton was awarded the JUNO Award for MusiCounts Teacher of the Year.
Patricia Shirley Patricia Shirley is a JUNO-nominated gospel recording artist. She was involved in the recording of the movie soundtrack for The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel. A ‘singers, singer’, she is revered in the gospel music scene, celebrated in both secular and stage work and has made vocal performance its own form of athleticism, with her ability to leave audiences in awe. Patricia has appeared in movies, on television, in concert halls and churches, internationally. She has shared the stage with gospel greats such as Donnie McClurkin, Mary Mary, CeCe Winans, Kim Burrell, Fred Hammond, Sharon Riley and Faith Chorale and Toronto Mass Choir. She has also worked with Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Pharrell Williams, and Drake.
Registration required.
Questions can be sent to edi.music@utoronto.ca.