For a PDF version of this press release, click here.
Share it!
Celebrate the holidays with “A Soulful Christmas”@KimmelCC (Twitter)/@KimmelCulturalCampus (Facebook and Instagram) on 12/14. This holiday performance safely unites choirs from across the #Philly region. For more info, visit kimmelculturalcampus.org.
Press Contacts:
Lauren A. Hall Hannah Palermo
484-832-1963 267-765-3724
lhall@kimmelculturalcampus.org hpalermo@alliedglobalmarketing.com
KIMMEL CULTURAL CAMPUS PRESENTS THE RETURN OF THE
ANNUAL CELEBRATION A SOULFUL CHRISTMAS,
LED BY CREATOR, ARTISTIC & MUSIC DIRECTOR,
DR. J. DONALD DUMPSON
UNITING CONGREGATIONS FROM ACROSS THE REGION
DECEMBER 14, 2021
With Special Guest & Honoree, Gospel singer Kathy Taylor
“A Soulful Christmas has become a Philadelphia holiday tradition, sought out for its wide range of repertoire and its heartfelt rendering of spiritual, gospel and classical sacred music.”
- The Philadelphia Sun
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (November 2, 2021) – The Kimmel Cultural Campus presents the return of its beloved annual holiday celebration, A Soulful Christmas, the joyful evening of gospel music and beloved holiday songs. To ensure the health and safety of participating artists, the event will be more intimate- with a smaller number of singers participating socially distanced on an extended stage inside its Verizon Hall on Tuesday, December 14, 2021, at 7:30 p.m. This performance is sponsored by PECO.
After a year of intermission, the gathering of talented choir members from across the region returns. Inspired by African diaspora, A Soulful Christmas was created in partnership with Dr. Dumpson following a 2012 collaboration between the Kimmel Cultural Campus, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, and the Philadelphia Heritage Chorale.
The performance will feature the Heritage Chorale, under the direction of Soulful’s Creator, Artistic & Music director Dr. J. Donald Dumpson, as well as community and church-based choirs. This year’s show features the Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ and the Finale of Lights.
“For nearly a decade, A Soulful Christmas has been an integral part of the holiday season in Philadelphia, filling Verizon Hall with the spirit of community and the cheer of the holidays,” said Matías Tarnopolsky, president and CEO of The Philadelphia Orchestra and Kimmel Center, Inc. “Soulful showcases the unique ability of the arts to unite us. We look forward to bringing neighborhoods, communities, and families together for this special holiday tradition.”
“Our 8th annual celebration of a Soulful Christmas is exactly what our region needs after the year we’ve had,” said Dr. J. Donald Dumpson, Creator, Artistic & Music Director. “With holiday spirituals, gospel favorites, and inspirational messages of goodwill, I’m personally looking forward to gathering – safely – together once again and bringing the audience to their feet in joyous praise.”
The honoree/special guest for this year’s concert is Kathy Taylor, a nationally known Texas-based gospel singer and Minister of Music. An accomplished National Recording Artist, Kathy Taylor has received resounding critical acclaim for her outstanding, soul-stirring, and inspirational performances. She has ministered before Queen Elizabeth, former President Bill Clinton, Senator Hillary Clinton, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Cicely Tyson, Maya Angelou, and many others.
Dr. J. Donald Dumpson is the President of Diverse Arts Solutions, Minister of Music and Arts at Arch Street Presbyterian Church, and he is the founder of Philadelphia Heritage Chorale. He has served with the faculties at various places like Westminster Choir College Rider University, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, and Philadelphia’s School District High School for Creative and Performing Arts. In 2018, Dr. Dumpson was the Artistic and Music Director for “The Gospel Roots of Rock and Soul” sponsored by the Pew Foundation. He was also the chorus master of The Philadelphia Orchestra’s premiere of Healing Tones by Hannibal Lokumbe with Maestro Yannick Nezet-Seguin as the conductor.
More information about those choirs and individuals participating in this year’s A Soulful Christmas will be announced at a later time.
Other featured performances on the Kimmel Cultural Campus include PHILADANCO! Fast Forward… to the Future (December 10 – 12, 2021, Perelman Theater), STOMP (December 28, 2021 – January 2, 2022, Merriam Theater), and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (January 28 – 30, 2022, Academy of Music).
Tickets
Tickets can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999 or online at www.kimmelculturalcampus.org. In-person ticket sales can be conducted daily from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. at the Academy of Music Box Office, located at 240 S. Broad Street. See www.kimmelculturalcampus.org for more information.
A Soulful Christmas
Kimmel Cultural Campus’ Verizon Hall
December 14, 2021, 7:30 p.m.
# # #
Safe & Clean Commitment + Flexible Ticket Policy
The Kimmel Cultural Campus is proudly certified by the Global Biorisk Advisory Council – the gold standard for cleaning, disinfection, and infection prevention programs.
We will always put the safety of our guests, artists, and staff first, and we have worked closely with partners, producers, artists, guests and other performing arts centers around the nation to develop the most comprehensive plan to safely reopen our doors. We are committing to a healthy and clean environment with increased disinfection, enhanced ventilation, and will enforce recommended health authority guidelines, including masks and proof of vaccination.
For more information on our Safe & Clean Commitment, please visit kimmelculturalcampus.org.
# # #
Masks are required to be worn at all times when on the Kimmel Cultural Campus, except when actively consuming food or beverage in designated locations. Prolonged periods of mask removal are not permitted.
All attendees for public events must show proof of full vaccination at the time of entry, with valid photo ID and copy of vaccination card (physical or photo). Proof of negative COVID-19 tests will not be accepted, with the exception of children under the age of 12; children under 12 will be required to show a negative PCR test result taken within 72 hours of the event. This policy is subject to change based upon guidance from the CDC and local health authorities.
# # #
KIMMEL CULTURAL CAMPUS
Located in the heart of Center City, Philadelphia, our mission is to engage the region's diverse communities with art through performance and education. Our Cultural Campus serves more than 1-million guests per year and includes Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts (Verizon Hall, Perelman Theater, and SEI Innovation Studio), the Academy of Music, and the Merriam Theater – representing more than 160 years of rich history for the performing arts along Philadelphia's Avenue of the Arts. We are home to eight esteemed Resident Companies: The Philadelphia Orchestra, Opera Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Ballet, The Philly POPS, PHILADANCO, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, and Curtis Institute of Music. With nearly 9,000 seats per night, we are the region's most impactful performing arts center, and the second largest in the country. Our Cultural Campus serves as a preeminent and inclusive place to enjoy exceptional experiences that reflect the spirit of our region by cultivating a creative and socially responsible environment where our community shares experiences that are delivered with pride, integrity, and respect. As a 501 c 3 nonprofit organization, we collaborate on, present, and produce a broad range of relevant and meaningful events, we serve as an active gathering space for social and community events, we educate the region's young people through access to quality arts experiences, and we provide support to artists in the creation of new work. TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank, is the proud Kimmel Cultural Campus Season Sponsor. Read Kimmel Cultural Campus' vision statement, world view, and mission statement here. Learn more about our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and how it encompasses our mission, co-workers, and programs here.
# # #
For photography, please visit https://kcccpress.smugmug.com
For a PDF version of this press release, click here.