After years of collaborating with different musical groups at the interfaith Martin Luther King Jr. Day service put on by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Linda Matorin Sweenie decided she’d like to bring that mix of music to the Jewish community.
The result of her efforts is “Many Voices, One God,” an April 28 concert featuring Sweenie’s band Shir Balev, the choirs of Congregation Beth Torah and the Boys and Girls Choirs of Greater Kansas City.
“Music is the great leveler. Musicians don’t see color; they just see great musicians,” Sweenie said. “That’s been a huge component of my life and my view of music.”
Sweenie said that Ah’Lee Robinson, who directs the Boys and Girls Choirs of Greater Kansas City, shares that perspective.
“We have been talking about this for years, and we have finally decided to put this together and make it happen,” Robinson said.
One of the key ideas behind the partnership is to encourage diversity.
“We wanted to put something together with our choirs to show how much we’re alike and mix up our people so they get to know each other,” Sweenie said.
Robinson’s choir, made up of 70 boys and girls, ages 8 to 18, will sing a spiritual, but they’ll also sing “Lo Yisa Goy,” a traditional Jewish tune. He’s got confidence the kids will pick up the Hebrew words without too much trouble.
“Young people, they’re like sponges. They can really soak stuff up,” Robinson said. “I want my kids to be well-rounded in everything they do. I want them to see the real world.”
Sweenie said music has constantly brought her into contact with people from a variety of cultures in a peaceful way, and this concert is one more venue for that kind of connection.
“We are all from different backgrounds, but music is the common thread that holds us together, that commonality that breaks all the barriers,” Sweenie said. “Harmony creates harmony. If you make music with somebody, you automatically connect with them, and your differences go out the window.”
Although the concert will be a collaboration, rehearsals are not. Each group is rehearsing separately, and they’ll have their only rehearsal together the day of the performance.
Some of the songs on the bill include the Grammy-winning tune “From a Distance” and “Hinei Ma Tov.”
Although the performance will be mostly choral, Sweenie said there will also be solo performances from some choir members and a selection from Shir Balev. Concertgoers can expect a contemporary vibe to the afternoon event.
“They’re going to hear spirited, uplifting songs that will create an atmosphere of camaraderie and unity,” Sweenie said.
To get a preview of a few of the concert’s tunes, community members can attend the April 19 Sermon in Song at 6:30 p.m. at Beth Torah.
Sweenie said everyone at Beth Torah is excited by the idea, and at the Jewish Community Relations Bureau|American Jewish Committee’s annual Freedom Seder, she heard lots of positive buzz in anticipation of the concert.
“It’s an opportunity for a lot of people in our community to hear music we don’t ordinarily sing or hear in the synagogue,” Sweenie said. “(Robinson’s) kids have a great gospel style … that style of music is very uplifting.”
She noted that while the tunes will be spiritual in feeling, Robinson’s choirs will not be singing religious tunes.
The free concert will be at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 28, in the sanctuary at Beth Torah.