BROWNWOOD, Texas — A concert celebrating Black History Month at Howard Payne University will feature local and area guest musicians.
"Faculty Concert Celebrating Black History Month", presented by Stephen Goacher, HPU professor of music, will be at 7 p.m. Thursday in the HPU Mims Auditorium. The show is free and open to the public.
The concert will feature guest musicians James Bode, principal percussion, San Angelo Symphony Orchestra and West Texas Jazz Orchestra director; Dr. Jeffrey Cottrell, trombone, Hardin-Simmons University School of Music chair, associate dean; Goacher, saxophone; Dr. John Irish, trumpet, Angelo State University professor of music; Stacey Nash, bass, Abilene Christian University, adjunct faculty; and the Rev. Henry Smith, piano, Mount Zion Baptist Church, Abilene, associate pastor.
Goacher said the concert will celebrate Black History Month through the performance of jazz.
“To celebrate a group of people, one must understand their art, their music and their religion,” Goacher said. “Jazz is recognized as a significant art form of the 20th century. Historically, the innovators of each jazz style have been young black men and women. Additionally, jazz is the only original art America has given to world culture. The sense of freedom and individuality these artists infused their music readily spoke to a world yearning to be free.”
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