JOYFUL SOUNDS: GOSPEL ACROSS AMERICA (2010)

Curated and co-produced by Nolan Williams, Jr.

Joyful Sounds: Gospel Across America was a nine-day cultural festival celebrating gospel music and other African-American sacred music forms. As Artistic director and producer, Nolan worked with The Kennedy Center to curate this festival, establishing a new paradigm for how The Center has since engaged in community partnerships for festival planning.

Events included:

- An all-star Signature Opening Concert honor Edwin Hawkins, Andrae Crouch, and Albertina Walker, hosted by Richard Smallwood and featuring Grammy Award-winning artists: Kirk Franklin, Shirley Caesar, and Take 6

- Presentation of lifetime achievement awards (specially minted versions of the Kennedy Center Honors medallions) to Edwin Hawkins, Andrae Crouch, Walter Hawkins, and Richard Smallwood

- A 4000-voice Community-wide Hymn Sing

- Concerts by Mavis Staples, The Clark Sisters, Marietta Simpson, J.J. Hairston & Youthful Praise, the Fisk Jubilee Singers, and more

- Sacred Sounds, a National Symphony Orchestra concert curated and co-conducted by Williams featuring co-conductor Maestro Stanley Thurston, Brandie Sutton, Lecresia Campbell, John Stoddart, Francese Brooks, Dennis Sawyers, along with the combined forces of the NEWorks Voices of America Choir and Washington Performing Arts' Men & Women of the Gospel

PHOTO CREDIT: Billy Heart, courtesy of NEWorks Productions