Dayton Philharmonic musicians and Music Director Neal Gittleman rehearse at Carillon Historical Park, a 65-acre park and museum in Dayton, Ohio, September 2020.
“The Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra’s Stained Glass Concert Series, a community-focused collaboration with area churches, is going virtual this summer,” writes Russell Florence Jr. in Sunday’s (6/20) Dayton Daily News (OH). “On Sunday, June 13, the DPO provided the first of these joyful, spiritual concerts alongside New Season Ministry in Huber Heights. Two additional virtual concert dates will be presented this summer with Omega Baptist Church and Trinity Presbyterian Church.… Virtual Stained Glass Series Concerts include a traditional classical symphony, music by an African-American or African-descended composer, and a gospel finale…. The concerts will feature Beethoven’s … Fourth Symphony [and] Florence Price’s ‘Adoration.’ The June 13 concert program opened with an introduction, invocation and benediction from Kent O. Johnson, pastor of New Season Ministry. The finale included the New Season Ministry choir, under the direction of music director Ray Turner, performing an original song entitled ‘My Worship’ as well as ‘Back Where I Belong,’ arranged by DPO artistic director and conductor Neal Gittleman…. ‘The cool thing about the streamed version is that each church will have its own custom version,’ … said Gittleman. ‘I hope we’ll be able to release several more versions of the stream throughout the summer.’ ”
