By Anne Ulseth
The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra (SPCO) and the Capri proudly present the Northside Celebration 2023 at 7 p.m. on Friday, February 17 and 4 p.m. on Saturday, February 18 at North High School, 1500 James Ave. N, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, February 19 at the Ordway Concert Hall, 345 Washington St. in downtown Saint Paul.
The three collaborative concerts will celebrate the North Minneapolis community through music. Tickets for the North Community High School performances are free, but reservations are required; contact thespco.org/northside, or the SPCO Ticket Office at 651-291-1144. A limited number of tickets will be available at the door for all performances.
Music will be performed by the Northside Celebration Choir, formed especially for this event and composed of people who live, work, worship or have a strong connection to the Northside. The concert will also feature Courtland Pickens’ youth choir, Known MPLS and The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. This unique performance brings together traditional gospel and orchestral music with spoken word, and is under the thoughtful direction of Dr. Adrian Davis, Sherri Orr, Dennis Spears, Kevin West and Courtland Pickens. A reception following both of the concerts at North High gives the audience in attendance a chance to connect, talk and celebrate community.
“Our spirits are lifted as we prepare to bring this third Northside Celebration to life at North High and the Ordway,” said SPCO Chief Community Value Officer Erin Jude. “It’s a big, joyful, collaborative effort that always culminates in exciting performances that are a beautiful reflection of the spirit and talent that flows out of the Northside.”
The inspiration for this concert originated nine years ago during a luncheon with Northside community residents and representatives from the SPCO and the Capri. Amidst avid support for a continued SPCO presence at the Capri, several themes surfaced during the discussion, including intense community pride in the face of adversity, a desire for opportunities to collaborate and feature local artists, and a desire to emphasize connection and strengthen relationships in the community.
In response to this feedback, Dennis Spears, Artistic Director of the Capri’s Legendsseries, suggested that the Capri and the SPCO take their partnership to the next level by collaborating to make music together, with the community. Understanding the power of music and coupling this with themes of hope, pride, collaboration and strong community connections, the Northside Celebration was born.
“The third Northside Celebration will continue to capture the essence of what we intended from the start – a celebration of our talented, vibrant and amazing Northside community, created in harmony with our friends from the SPCO,” said Spears. “Get your Northside Pride on and come out and see this concert!”
More info: thecapri.org and thespco.org.