“Glorious.” That’s the only word Keith Polatty could find to describe singing at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
Members of South Main Street Baptist Church in Greenwood were among more than 200 choir members invited to sing with the Annie Moses Band at Carnegie Hall in New York City.“Everything about it was glorious,” said Polatty, who was among a group of members from [Greenwood’s] South Main Street Baptist Church’s Chancel Choir to perform at the legendary music hall. “It was glorious from all perspectives, from the musical perspective and from a worship experience for everybody who participated in the program.”
South Main Baptist’s Chancel Choir was invited to minister as part of the Annie Moses Band in Concert at Carnegie Hall. The almost two-hour Jan. 14 performance featured The Annie Moses Band, a full symphony orchestra and a more than 200-voice chorus under the direction of Camp Kirkland.
Twenty-two members from South Main Baptist went to New York City and performed.
The Annie Moses Band is husband and wife Bill and Robin Wolaver, and their children Annie, Benjamin, Camille, Gretchen and Jeremiah. Bill and Robin Wolaver are award-winning songwriters, and the children’s musical background is classical. The older children trained at Juilliard.
“The minute you walk into Carnegie Hall, you know you’re in a place all musicians want to occupy one day. It’s an event I’m sure we’ll never forget,” said Polatty, who is South Main Baptist’s interim music director and organist. “It was a very professional atmosphere in a space that’s not used for a sacred program.”
Not surprising, Polatty was impressed with the acoustics of Carnegie Hall.
“It’s a hall that isn’t matched anywhere around the world, and certainly in the United States,” Polatty said. “The history of Carnegie Hall, how it was made by hand – the atmosphere was overwhelming. Then, when the orchestra starting playing and the choir starting singing together in that hall, it was just an unbelievable sound.”
Kimberley Burleson, scheduling coordinator and administrative assistant for the Annie Moses Band, said, “Another thing – we were all of the same mind and spirit. There’s tremendous power in that. We all made up such a huge unified voice, and music was epic in scope. It was thrilling, but also surprisingly peaceful. And that’s important to the concentration and execution of a spellbinding performance.”
South Main Baptist first connected with the Annie Moses Band when the group performed in Greenwood for the church’s 100th anniversary in 2011.
“They became familiar with us and our church and our choir,” Polatty said.
Burleson said, “We extended invitations to churches where the AMB had been in concert recently and with whom we felt a good rapport.”
Polatty was also impressed with the attendance. “We didn’t know what size the audience would be to come to hear a sacred concert in Carnegie Hall,” Polatty said. “I was very surprised to see the bottom floor full and two of the balconies full. That was really quite incredible.”
Burleson added, “We had a great crowd that enthusiastically expressed their appreciation. With a choir in excess of 200 voices, a 50-piece, hand-picked orchestra, conductor Camp Kirkland and Annie Moses Band completing the picture, the impact was palpable.”
The chorus and orchestra filled the back and middle of the stage with the Annie Moses Band right up front, closest to the audience. Being on stage with the group gave Polatty another chance to see the Annie Moses Band.
“Just to see the talent of that family was incredible,” Polatty said. “Just to be there and see how they operate and work together, it was pretty awesome, too.”
There were churches from South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Colorado and Texas. South Main Baptist and a church from Charleston represented South Carolina.
Upon returning to Greenwood, in his Music Ministry Notes, Polatty’s writings included, “Gathered with Christian musicians from across the U.S. singing praise to our Lord and Savior gave us all a glimpse of what it will be like singing in heaven’s chorus one day.”
– Excerpted from the Greenwood Index-Journal. Reprinted with permission.