Celebrate Valentine's Day with a Free Concert Featuring The Music Of Chris Connor and Mahalia Jackson

New England Conservatory's Contemporary Musical Arts Department pays tribute to two of the most iconic and creative American singers of the 20th century in Night and Day: The Music of Chris Connor and Mahalia Jackson on Wednesday, February 14, 7:30 p.m. at Jordan Hall, 290 Huntington Avenue, Boston.

The program is curated by faculty members Hankus Netsky and Ran Blake. Admission is free, but tickets are required. For information visit https://necmusic.edu/events/contemporary-musical-arts-music-chris-connor-and-mahalia-jackson
 
The title of this Valentine's Day concert, Night and Day refers not only to the iconic Cole Porter love song (a favorite of Connor's), but also to Connor's image as the queen of the smoky nightclub and Jackson's embodiment of the holy spirit of love that infuses the music of the Black church every Sunday morning.
 
The concert features NEC Gospel Music Ensemble director and CMA faculty member Nedelka Prescod, along with other CMA faculty members and students performing their own versions of Connor and Jackson's most iconic repertoire.  Selections include Billy Strayhorn's “Something to Live For,”  Margo Guryan's “Moonride,” Cole Porter's “Just One of Those Things” and “Get Out of Town,” “Angel Eyes” by Matt Dennis, “You Stepped Out of a Dream” by Gus Kahn and Nacio Herb Brown, Connor's own composition “Driftwood,” and Gospel music classics including Duke Ellington's “Come Sunday” and  “Psalm 23,” traditional spirituals including “Elijah Rock,” “It Don't Cost Very Much” by Thomas A. Dorsey, Jackson's own composition “I'm Going to Tell God,” and “Didn't it Rain,” and “I'm on my way to Canaan,” arranged by Prescod and performed by the NEC Jazz Department's Gospel Music Ensemble.
 
CMA Emeritus Department Chair Ran Blake recorded with Connor and knew her over the course of her entire career. He also studied piano with Mildred Falls, Jackson's perennial accompanist.  According to Blake, Chris Connor was unsurpassed for her use of “the element of surprise,” and Mahalia Jackson possessed nothing less than the “most majestic voice in American history.”

Founded by Eben Tourjée in Boston, Massachusetts in 1867, the New England Conservatory (NEC) represents a new model of music school that combines the best of European tradition with American innovation. The school stands at the center of Boston's rich cultural history and musical life, presenting concerts at the renowned Jordan Hall. Propelled by profound artistry, bold creativity and deep compassion, NEC seeks to amplify musicians' impact on advancing our shared humanity, and empowers students to meet today's changing world head-on, equipped with the tools and confidence to forge multidimensional lives of artistic depth and relevance.

As an independent, not-for-profit institution that educates and trains musicians of all ages from around the world, NEC is recognized internationally as a leader among music schools. It cultivates a diverse, dynamic community, providing music students of more than 40 countries with performance opportunities and high-caliber training from 225 internationally esteemed artist-teachers and scholars. NEC pushes the boundaries of music-making and teaching through college-level training in classical, jazz and contemporary improvisation. Through unique interdisciplinary programs such as Entrepreneurial Musicianship and Community Performances & Partnerships, it empowers students to create their own musical opportunities. As part of NEC's mission to make lifelong music education available to everyone, the Preparatory School and School of Continuing Education delivers training and performance opportunities for children, pre-college students and adults.