Meridian Herald Inc

MERIDIAN HERALD ("MH") AND ITS PROFESSIONAL CHORALE SING TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE, PRESENTING UNIQUE PROGRAMS THAT COMBINE MUSIC, HISTORY, LITERATURE, SPIRITUALITY, AND SCIENCE. THE PANDEMIC, CLIMATE CHANGE AND RACIAL DISPARITIES IN THE ENVIRONMENT ARE AN IMPORTANT CONCERN FOR OUR NATION, AND TO INCREASE PUBLIC AWARENESS AND DEEPEN UNDERSTANDING OF THESE MATTERS, IN 2020 MERIDIAN HERALD CREATED ITS CONFLUENCE SERIES EXPLORING THE ENVIRONMENT, ARTS, AND ACTIVISM. IN JANUARY OF 2021, AS PART OF THE HISTORIC ATLANTA MUSIC FESTIVAL, MH LAUNCHED A VIDEOTAPE SERIES RECOUNTING THE CULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL STORY OF ATLANTA'S PROCTOR CREEK AND ATLANTA'S WEST SIDE. AMONG OTHER THINGS, MH COMMISSIONED THE DANCE GROUP GLO TO CREATE AND PERFORM IN AND AROUND PROCTOR CREEK; WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS CREATED ART ON A BRIDGE OVER THE CREEK WHILE YINZI KONG OF THE VEGA STRING QUARTET PERFORMED "WATER" MUSIC FOR THEM, PLEIN AIR ARTIST EMILY HIRN CREATED TWO PAINTINGS OF THE CREEK, AND WEST ATLANTA ARTIST RADCLIFFE BAILEY, NEIGHBORHOOD HISTORIAN REVEREND MASON, ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORIAN WILL BRYAN, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS NA'TAKI OSBORNE JELKS AND DARRYL HADDOCK WERE INTERVIEWED. THE GRAND FINALE OF THE FESTIVAL WAS A VIDEOTAPED CONCERT FOCUSING ON ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND THE WORKS OF BLACK ARTISTS (POETS AND MUSICIANS) RELATING TO WATER AND THE NATURAL WORLD. PERFORMERS INCLUDED METROPOLITAN OPERA STAR MORRIS ROBINSON, TENOR TIMOTHY MILLER, SOPRANO WANDA YANG TEMKO, THE MERIDIAN CHORALE AND READERS MOLLY SAMUEL AND THEE SMITH. IN JUNE OF 2021, THE MERIDIAN CHORALE PERFORMED A PROGRAM OF SEA SHANTIES AT ZONOLITE PARK. MERIDIAN HERALD CONCLUDED ITS 2021 SEASON AT THE HISTORIC OLD CHURCH IN OXFORD, GEORGIA WITH A FOLK ADVENT PROGRAM INSPIRED BY GEORGIA'S SACRED HARP TRADITION AND FEATURING THE MERIDIAN CHORALE AND BLUEGRASS SINGER LEAH CALVERT AND HER BAND.