At 7:30 pm on Saturday, Nov 19, the Jason Max Ferdinand Singers will perform at First Congregational Church in Kalamazoo after two days of workshops and community engagement in K-12 schools and at Western Michigan University. In an interview with Cara Lieurance Jason Max Ferdinand says we need music, especially choral music, now more than ever. The choir was formed in the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic in the aftermath of the Jan 6 insurrection and George Floyd's murder.
Cindy Hunter, who coordinated the Singers' residency, says the then-unknown group had an electrifying impact at a national choral conductors conference, and again in a trans-Atlantic choral concert hosted by Voces8. Hunter asked Ferdinand if the Singers could perform in Kalamazoo, and began the process of finding financial support and other assistance from community partners. They include Western Michigan University, Education for the Arts, the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation, and the Kalamazoo Bach Festival. Tickets are available on the Kalamazoo Bach Festival website.
