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The award-winning Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir is set to bring Black gospel and spiritual music traditions to the Bankhead Theater as part of Juneteenth celebrations in Livermore this weekend.
On the day of the concert Saturday, Livermore Valley Arts and Tri-Valley for Black Lives — an organization dedicated to fostering a safe and anti-racist community for BIPOC, with priority for Black lives — are hosting the fourth annual Juneteenth event in the Bankhead Plaza. The family-friendly celebration is set to include emcee and comedian Faith Alpher as well as other entertainment and music, alongside retail and food vendors.
Alpher will then hold an hour-long conversation at the Bankhead with stories to inspire attendees, in honor of Juneteenth.
These festivities all commemorate the holiday marking the emancipation of enslaved people in Texas on June 19, 1865, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation abolished slavery in the confederate states.
“The values at the heart of Juneteenth — liberation, community and the ongoing fight for social justice — are deeply meaningful to me,” OIGC singer Isaac Hanson said. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to honor this important holiday with the Livermore community as we sing, uplift and reflect on the legacy and meaning of Juneteenth.”
Founded in 1986, OIGC’s mission is to inspire joy and unity among all people through Black gospel and spiritual music traditions, according to the choir’s website. The organization is composed of over 300 singers across multiple choirs with a range of faiths, races and cultures.
Every year, the choir performs 25 to 30 times, with additional events performed by an ensemble representing the group, according to the choir’s website.
Since its founding, they have journeyed across the world to perform in locations such as Israel, Norway, Australia and the southern United States. Locally, their appearances have included shows at Paramount Theatre in Oakland and the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center.
“We want to be a musical catalyst to change the world by showing people of all faiths and backgrounds can come together and make it a better place to be. We know music is universal and OIGC proves it every time we perform,” OIGC singer and board member Sharon Hymes-Offord said.
The choir’s accolades include appearances on Grammy-winning albums by Linda Ronstadt, MC Hammer, Tramaine Hawkins and more. They have also performed with groups including Joshua Nelson, the Five Blind Boys of Alabama and the Duke Ellington Orchestra.
Additionally, the choir’s founding artistic director Terrance Kelly has won an Emmy Award for his choral arrangement of OIGC’s KGO-TV public service announcement.
As the writer or arranger of most of the music for the choir’s albums, his work also includes choral arrangements on albums by Ronstadt and the Kronos Quartet as well as gospel arrangements of popular music for TV and video soundtracks, the choir’s website states.
For his directorship of Oakland Interfaith Youth Choir, Kelly received the Local Heroes Award from KQED Television in 2005 with honor at the Gospel Music Awards. Then in 2013, he was granted the Dr. Edwin Hawkins Excellence Award.
“He always refocuses us back to why we’re doing what we’re doing,” OIGC marketing and programs manager Isa S. Chu said of Kelly. “And yes, we can perform at all these amazing venues, like the Bankhead, but the main mission of what we’re trying to do is to share joy and touch people’s hearts.”
Set for their third annual performance at the Bankhead, LVA has come to know the choir for its “soul-stirring harmonies and electrifying energy”.
Before every show, members of the choir hold hands in a circle to share their wishes of peace, joy, love and hope to the audience, according to the choir website.
“They can expect to stand up and sing along,” Chu said of the upcoming Juneteenth celebratory performance. “They can expect a little bit of a history lesson as well.”
When Kelly shares the history of the music, it enriches the experience, Hymes-Offord said.
“I am excited as always to perform and spread the spirit, joy and message of Gospel music,” Hymes-Offord said. “As a Black woman, Juneteenth is special as one of the many distinct parts of my heritage. Black history is American history and it is important to share, teach and learn from each other.”
“I hope we leave the audience at Bankhead feeling lifted and knowing that we can still stand together and make not only beautiful music but a beautiful world,” Hymes-Offord added.
The OIGC performance is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. Saturday (June 21).
In addition to the OIGC performance, LVA also welcomes attendees to the Bankhead Plaza to celebrate Juneteenth with food, art and entertainment such as dancing, drumming, singing and storytelling. Emceed by Alpher, a motivational speaker, KKIQ radio personality, educator and comedian, the daytime event is set to run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
Also joining the event from across the Bay Area are vendors including Black-owned businesses and community organizations: JTM In The Kitchen, JAMM The Artist, Bells Bath and Body Essentials, Vazi Safi, Quita Is Love and The Fusion Food Club as well as Diablo Black Men’s Group, Livermore Indivisible, Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley, Tri-Valley for Black Lives and Tri-Valley Haven, according to an announcement by Tri-Valley for Black Lives.
“We’ve brought together our favorite Black-owned businesses, selling everything from barbecue to bath products, jewelry, tea, and more,” Tri-Valley for Black Lives organizer Emily Moore said in a statement. “We look forward to seeing their latest flavors and creations.”
The lineup of performances includes African dance by Cheza Nami, singing by Jordyn Diew, poetry by Alie Jones and more.
The event is meant “to not only celebrate African-American culture but also to learn and grow from our shared history as Americans”, LVA officials said in a statement.
Just after the celebration in the plaza, Alpher is set to host a free show in the theater featuring stories and a conversation in honor of Juneteenth. Her “Freedom, Faith & The Power of Celebration” is set to begin at 3 p.m.
The day of festivities in downtown Livermore was set to follow other Juneteenth observances in the region, with Pleasanton’s event held last Saturday outside the Firehouse Arts Center and Dublin’s inaugural Juneteenth celebration set for the actual holiday in Emerald Glen Park on Thursday afternoon and evening.
For tickets and more information about OIGC’s performance at the Bankhead, visit the LVA website at livermorearts.org.
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