MONROE - The 1980 documentary film "Say Amen, Somebody" by George T. Nierenberg will be presented at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 10 at the Monroe Public Library, 925 16th Ave. The film is the third in a series of seven film screenings being presented as a partnership between the Monroe Arts Center and the Monroe Public Library.
Each film focuses on a different genre of American music, with each genre represented in an upcoming Monroe Arts Center 2013-2014 performance. The series uses documentary film and a brief post-film discussion, led by a music authority, to engage the public in a study of some of America's most enduring popular music. Films will be shown approximately one week prior to the corresponding MAC performance.
"Say Amen, Somebody," precedes the MAC presentation of the Mt. Zion Gospel Choir of Madison at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14. The film captures the lives and careers of some of gospel music's most luminous artists, including Thomas A. Dorsey, Willie Mae Ford Smith and her long-time rival Sallie Martin, The Barrett Sisters, The O'Neal Twins, and Zella Jackson Price. The film begins at the 1982 Gospel Music Convention in St. Louis. Interviews with the gospel greats, as well as stirring performances and rare archival footage, tell a story of a uniquely American art form that fuses religion and entertainment and has a transcendent power to move an audience. The film's running time is 90 minutes.
Following the film, an audience discussion led by gospel music authorities, Leotha (Lee) and Tamera Stanley will take place from 8 to 8:30 p.m. Lee started a gospel choir at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and released an album of original songs several years later. He has worked with countless schools in Madison and throughout the Midwest as an artist-in-residence teaching many different genres of music to children. He has been the music director for the Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Madison for 34 years.
Tamera Stanley comes from a musical family in Racine where her father is a gospel quartet singer and musician, her brother a bass guitarist, and her nephew a drummer. She is the wife of Leotha Stanley, and the two of them together conduct choirs at the University of Whitewater and Mt. Zion Baptist Church.
All film screenings and discussions are free and opening to the public. For more information, contact MAC at 608-325-5700, or 888-596-1249 or visit at www.monroeartscenter.com.
Each film focuses on a different genre of American music, with each genre represented in an upcoming Monroe Arts Center 2013-2014 performance. The series uses documentary film and a brief post-film discussion, led by a music authority, to engage the public in a study of some of America's most enduring popular music. Films will be shown approximately one week prior to the corresponding MAC performance.
"Say Amen, Somebody," precedes the MAC presentation of the Mt. Zion Gospel Choir of Madison at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14. The film captures the lives and careers of some of gospel music's most luminous artists, including Thomas A. Dorsey, Willie Mae Ford Smith and her long-time rival Sallie Martin, The Barrett Sisters, The O'Neal Twins, and Zella Jackson Price. The film begins at the 1982 Gospel Music Convention in St. Louis. Interviews with the gospel greats, as well as stirring performances and rare archival footage, tell a story of a uniquely American art form that fuses religion and entertainment and has a transcendent power to move an audience. The film's running time is 90 minutes.
Following the film, an audience discussion led by gospel music authorities, Leotha (Lee) and Tamera Stanley will take place from 8 to 8:30 p.m. Lee started a gospel choir at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and released an album of original songs several years later. He has worked with countless schools in Madison and throughout the Midwest as an artist-in-residence teaching many different genres of music to children. He has been the music director for the Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Madison for 34 years.
Tamera Stanley comes from a musical family in Racine where her father is a gospel quartet singer and musician, her brother a bass guitarist, and her nephew a drummer. She is the wife of Leotha Stanley, and the two of them together conduct choirs at the University of Whitewater and Mt. Zion Baptist Church.
All film screenings and discussions are free and opening to the public. For more information, contact MAC at 608-325-5700, or 888-596-1249 or visit at www.monroeartscenter.com.