On the heels of the holiday celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Sweet Honey in the Rock provided an a capella explosion of riveting ballads and traditional gospel to a sold-out audience this Saturday at Spaulding Auditorium.
"We are warriors. Our songs -- sounds, and lyrics give us stance -- make clear the ground we hold. We name through our singing the territory of the expanding community we sound. When you see our songs, you see the tip of the mountain upon which we stand and it is solid ground," said Bernice Johnson Reagon, artistic director and founder.
With an undeniably mature sound and heartfelt lyrical moments, Sweet Honey in the Rock left no musical style unexplored.
Their sound was truly unbelievable. The all-female quintet which began in Washington, D.C. sounded like an army of voices stunning the audience with their unique style and effortless singing. Each individual member of the troupe possessed an incredible dynamic range and style, a combination which proved to be relaxing and mellifluous.
Parading onstage clothed in costumes accented with an African motif, the group quickly began the concert with their rendition of soul-stirring gospel music. Such familiar tunes as "Wade in the Water" and "Father I Stretch My Hands to Thee" were flawlessly executed.
"We have stayed this course because we believe that during these times as we prepare to turn the century, it is important that there is a Sweet Honey in the Rock, clearly visible for all to know that we do remember who we are and we act in our present charged by that memory," Reagon said.
"We cherish and celebrate the opportunity to make our mark on these shifting unstable sands," she said.
Sweet Honey in the Rock then continued the program with a series of songs concerning political issues like abortion and racism that currently besiege popular culture.
In the song, "I'm Going to Get my Baby Out of Jail," the group addressed the story of pregnant Gloria Rackley, a schoolteacher and leader in the civil rights movement. Ready to deliver her baby, Rackley enters the white waiting room of the local hospital where she was refused treatment and arrested. Refusing to pay the $5 fine lodged against her, Rackley decides to stay in jail.
The song is written from the perspective of her husband and states "My baby wouldn't let me pay her fine, said she wasn't guilty, and not to pay one dime."
"This group is a part of my living -- not spare time, not what I do for a living, not a job, not a hobby -- but the way I breathe, the how I make my way through my life and the life of my times," Reagon said.
"Sweet Honey is formed out of today's requests -- out of my dreams -- her songs and singing giver focus to my efforts to stand steady against the howling winds of societal insanities," she said.
"Out of the sounds of my child-memory; enjoined by the gifts of breath, sound, creations from twenty others -- women in voice and living -- we plow the path forward with sound. And it is a path we travel, lit by the chatter of the ancestors," she said.
After a brief intermission and costume change, the group concentrated on a number of songs concerning the past and fond memories.
In the song, "Wanting Memory," the group sung about how people could learn and grow from past experiences.
The song states, "I am sitting here wanting, memories to teach me, to see the beauty in the world, through my eyes. I am sitting here wanting, memories to teach me, to see the beauty in the world, through my own eyes."
Sweet Honey ended their concert with a reprise of old gospel standards including "Come by Here" and "In the Morning When I Rise."
The group later performed two encores and signed autographs for the fans.
