Juicy BOA bits extracted, (with thanks but without permission) from Tony Backhouse Newsletter #38 November 2007   more »

Thanks to Tony Backhouse for finding them on YouTube. Lots more to offer if you follow the link back to YouTube

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Well,  between traveling and work, there has been little opportunity to give the last day of the tour the attention ...   more »

For the next two weeks I worked with a small contingent from the WA community choir Band of Angels, who asked me to take them on a tour of Black churches.

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Hi everyone, we have arrived safely in new York, staying in a really funkly,cool little BnB in downtown Brooklyn. If Gina and Tim ever opened a BnB it would look like this!

We had a great last night in Chicago sang at the North Western Illinois University -the Soul Children were absolutely fantastic. Then it was off to a fancy dinner with E. Patrick Johnson and Janet Netter, they passed on big hellos to all of the Angels , Janet is hoping to tour down under

cheers deb and fran

Thought I better get something on the blog before the tour ended, we have been packing in the music,sightseeing, eating and drinking which has left little time for sleeping or blogging, so here is a sample day just to give you a feel. Friday 11th up early to get to Oak Park  to see Frank Lloyd Wrights architectural gem-Unity Temple and his first house, the birthplace of  Prairie style. When he first lived here there really was prairie just beyond and Frank was famous for riding his horse in a red kimono gathering weeds for display in the house. The long sufffering Catherine was bringing up the 6 kids and despairing how they would ever pay the bills as Frank bought grand pianos and lived life according to his maxim- look after the luxuries and the necessities will take care of themselves... but back to the architecture. Unity Temple is magnificent- an intimate yet awe inspiring church filled with light and classic FLW details-jewel box artglass windows in the ceiling, strong verticals lifting your eyes to heaven and broad horizontal bands unifying the whole structure. The house is simple and stunning in one small structure he includes rooms of great beauty utilising his compression and release so that you burst forth into the light airy spaces with tree level views and glass that exactly matches the clours of the trees outside-magic, I could have spent all day there.

 But angels live life to the full so it is back on the El - chicago talk for the elevated railway looping around the city-for an aftenoon at the Chicago Centre for Black Music Research where we spend a couple of hours engrossed in the Jubilee Showcase from the 1960's- lots of fabulous quartets and choirs singing different versions of some of our old favouites and lots of other songs. Rev Jesse Jackson spoke of his experiences on the scene at Rev Martin Luther Kings assassination followed by Precious Lord the song he requested for his funeral. With only a small amount of encouragement we sing for the assembled staff, who think this could be a nice way to end every Friday afternoon!

Next a walk to Michigan Ave to greet Rani's angel statue, today she is clothed in a skirt of blue morning glory.

In desperate need of fortification we all meet in town at Heaven on Seven for a southern louisiana feast -red beans and rice, hoppin john, collard greens and chili everything, all washed down with margaritas and beer.

But wait there's more Mike and I head out to the city outskirts to a dingy little rock bar to hear the 1900's an indie pop group with two female vocalists one of whom plays the sexiest tambourine I've ever seen. They are all very young- been playing for 3 years and are extremely chuffed when we tell them we've heard them in Australia (JJJ) and came to see them on the strength of that! 2.30 am and it's finally time to head home for bed.

So that's why I haven't been very active on the blogging but am having a fantastic time!

 

Including but not limited to:

Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church
Mae Barnes & Family
1853 Swift St.
Memphis TN 38109-1715

Rev Dr James Nettors
(& Kym Nettors)
C/ Mt Vernon Baptist Church
620 Parkrose Ave
Westwood TN

Pastor Chester Berryhill
c/ New Philadelphia
533 South Mendenhall St.
TN

Hi readers

7:45am Saturday after a few days in Chicago. Angels have adjusted to the 40 degrees temperature loss, and ...   more »

Dear Angels and other readers.  We bid a fond goodbye to Memphis yesterday and flew up to Chicago.  Ed picked ...   more »

Hello from Chicago, fellow angels, dear family and friends,

Missing you all terribly of course! We have been enjoying getting to know the Big Chicago City today, but our introduction to Chicago was first of all, much cooler weather! we actually got to wear some of the rug up clothes we brought along!! Yesterday, Tuesday early evening we arrived at our hotel at around 5 and after a hasty bite, our busdriver Ed, took us to the 'New Greater Light Missionary Baptist Church' where we were greeted by the powerful, energetic voices of the choir rehearsing. A fantastic band was playing, most impressive was the line of volunteers waiting to play the drums. As well as two young men that played there were several boys playing with drumsticks on their knees, copying exactly whatever the drummer of the moment was playing. While the youth choir rehearsed, it was one of the younger ones turn, he couldn't have been more than 4 or 5 years old! and there were younger ones than that waiting in line, one still sucking on a dummy!  This church is the home of the Douglas singers and the Heavenly kings Jr's. A female and male group respectively, many of whom were present on the night, sang for us and had their cd's for sale with complimentary group photo's. When we were invited to sing a couple of numbers, our voices sounded sooooo weak! after their powerful enthusiasm and visible joy. Along the way some toy koalas have proven very popular with the kids, but we forgot to bring them along last night. I think we would have run out if we had, there were so many kids there. We will get our chance again when we go there again on saturday evening. Tonight, Wednesday, we went to a revival meeting at the Evangel World Outreach centre, but unfortunately ( although it was a great message by the preacher) there was no choir singing. As people started to leave they were called back to come and hear us sing! Once again warmly received and encouraged! I am losing my voice, but somehow it doesn't seem to matter, because it's great to be able to sing together and know that praise and joy is what is really happening! We have a free day tomorrow, and hope to explore the city further and have been admiring some of the fantastic buildings! Will sing/ sign off now and wish all you beautiful people out there our thoughts of having you here with us! Till next time or when we meet again, sending much love and praying God will bless and keep you all!   Big angel hug from Marjan.

I have such strong memories of my first Sunday on the '97 tour (starting at 10am and still on our feet singing at 10pm) that I was worried that nothing could compare.

Well....such was the welcome at Bethlehem BC that it felt like a continuation of the same day. As the others have no doubt described (we are trying not to read each others entries) we were made to feel like special guests, in no small part due to the relationship between Brother Tony and May, the force of nature behind this small neighbourhood church. At the lunch following the service I was a fly on the wall as Tony got to sing in an impromptu trio with one of the church elders and her husband - as he remarked on the bus afterwards "you live for moments like that".

 

One aspect of these tours that I had forgotten was the 'extra' stuff that happens along the way - such as meeting Dick our bus driver for the day on Sunday - a man with a million stories and the gift of the gab. He had been a pilot/driver for Jerry Lee Lewis and had traveled the world and met Jerry Lee's peers (you know, Elvis, Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash....) and had survived intact due to his staying away from the booze and drugs. As he tells it "I have a near photographic memory and a mathematical mind. I'm not as good looking as Elvis but I never had but one ugly woman in my life".

 

The day continued along with our own performance at New Philadelphia Church - singing mainly to their choir who alternately hollered and napped through our songs (now there was a motivation to sing well....it had been a long day for them already). And then, the highlight for me, singing at Mount Vernon for the broadcast service. Our 2 songs turned into 4 and we have never sounded so good. I felt very proud of us all. Back to the hotel and a piece of cake for Fran's b'day  - Wyndham was still going strong and had been the Angel baby indeed.

 

So we head to Chicago today for stage 2...more soon.

Rosie

 

 

Well readers, I apologise for the length and biographical nature of Sunday's entry (we went there, we did this, ...)  ...   more »

BOA does Choich   more »

Hi Angels, family, friends and other devotees

Mike told us we weren't to read anyone Else's comments before posting our own, so here goes.....

Sunday church...WOW. It has been the highlight of my trip thus far. I so enjoyed the unique experience in each of the 3 churches. Having the opportunity to sing in all 3 was such a culmination of emotions. It was a bit like when we do a gig and at some point when your singing you realise "yeah... this is right for me, this is why I come to choir every week, because I love it!"

Let me tell you it's real hard to sing, smile for the congregation (let alone for the video camera) and cry at the same time!

I have been deeply touched by the humble circumstances of many we fellowshipped with. Do they feel sorry for themselves? No way... they are grateful to just be alive and to worship. I am also deeply touched by their hospitality, humility, generosity of praise, warmth, inner happiness which they show on the outside, talent that they are all too happy to share, their graciousness towards us and above all their faith. They loved our singing (I had been apprehensive that they would think we were imposter's) and praised us no end. They want the Band of Angels to come back again next year!!!! 

The people we met are the salt of the earth and there is much I (we) can learn from the congregations of Bethlehem, New Philadelphia and Mount Vernon. We smiled, laughed,kissed, embraced, shook and held hands and perspired  together. We were even fed some mighty fine tucker.

Finally, I was riveted  by the Assistant Pastor (I think that was his title) Darnell McKinney Gooch (I was sitting next to his proud grandmother) who almost raised the roof with his (about) 45 min. sermon. He's good... I think he covered the whole bible in that sermon.

I'm looking forward to singing and attending church in Chicago next week.

Until we meet again

Moira 

Deb's Memphis summary    more »

Katrina's thoughts on Sunday in Memphis

My religious background is from the same southern style of church so the preaching at church wasn't anything that foreign to me. In fact I felt I'd been transferred to a place in my past except the people were different and the singing much more inspiring. 

The people at Bethlehem and New Philadelphia were very warm and welcoming. They were wonderful to us. The music at all three churches was excellent, moving and inspiring. The voices, powerful.

I think by the time we arrived in Mount Vernon it would be fair to say that we'd all had a long day already so it was difficult to take in all aspects of the service but they loved our singing and we seemed to get better all day.

What an amazing experience. I'm so glad I've had this opportunity

My first trip to Memphis was a solo one even before the 2005 Katrina tour and I made it to ...   more »

Another day in Memphis!  The feeling of the place is starting to sink in now, and our attention is less on the immediate differences from Oz (money, driving, food, accents, ...) and we're starting to see and learn about the place itself.  I think this started yesterday in Helena, but I think we've all passed our Tourist 101 and are now looking for our Tourist 102 accreditation ;-) 

It was another free form day up to 3:30 pm.  Rosy made a trip to Gracelands while Kenn took Wyndham round town.  Of special note was that Kenn has discovered that Wyndham is the perfect sidekick when it comes to getting attractive ladies to come up and talk!  Katrina and I headed down to AMRO's music store in South Memphis - a successful trip for Katrina (new tenor saxophone) and more guitar music for me, - and an interesting bus ride through the city.  Memphis has about the same population as Perth, and is probably about as spread out.  Outside downtown (see the lingo comes easily now), there are few buildings over three stories high, and the place has a open feel to it.  As the bus passed through the suburbs, we could see the difference in the affluence of the areas; there were some run down areas, characterised by boarded shop windows, and a many pawn shops and cash advance outlets, and there were suburbs that (other than being American) looked just like the ones we live in at home. 

Following our return from Amro's, we teamed up with Josea and headed off to the STAX museum ( http://www.staxmuseum.com/ ).  The background to some of the music we have all heard and loved over the years was really stunning.  STAX is also inextricably linked with the civil rights movement, and in many ways exemplified what the goal of the movement was - people of all colours and creeds from the community working together and sharing their successes back to the community.  The assassination of Dr Martin Luther King destroyed much of the harmony and trust that existed there - in the midst of a city noted for its segregationist policies - and the impact of that event on the community and what happened afterwards help put me in a frame of mind to appreciate even more our first church service that evening - a quartet service at the Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church.

After rehearsing at 3:30pm and grabbing a quick bite to eat, we frocked up and headed down to the coach.  Many of you would never have seen the BOA in such splendour!   We drove off to the Bethlehem MBC (late, as the service had started early - Southern time is variable) and filed into the church. 

The church was small (no larger than the North Fremantle Community Hall) and there were about 30 people in there already.  The church choir was singing as we filed into the pews and introduced ourselves to the people already sitting there.  As soon as the church choir had finished, May (who ran the church until recently handing it over to one of her daughters) asked Brother Tony to bring her new friends from Australia up to sing.  That was the moment that I had been awaiting (with some trepidation admittedly), but as those of you who have been over here beofre can vouch, there was a safe and friendly space there for us, and we sang Shine On and I Love The Name Jesus to a warm and enthusiatic reception.

Sitting down again, the evening proceeded with several groups with ages from 12 to 70+ and numbers from three to ten got up and sang their feelings, their passions, their sorrows, joys and determination to rise above it all.  At the end of the service, we met and talked with the congregation and it was another thrity minutes or so before we got back on the bus and headed back to the hotel.

There was a bit more of Saturday night, but really, it pales in comparison to church, and I'll leave the blog here. 

Tomorrow is church day with visits to Bethelem MBC, New Philedelphia MBC and Mt Vernon.  Whether we have the energy to blog tonight is questionable, but if not, we'll post more on Monday morning.

Speak to you all later

Mike

Hello - Rosie posting this part of the blog while most of the choir heads over to the Gibson museum ...   more »

Dear BOA Blog readers.  Thank you for those of you who left comments, although they have pricked my conscience into ...   more »

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At the completion of the longest Wednesday anyone in the Band of Angels touring party has had (we left Perth ...   more »