The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and IN UNISON Chorus celebrate the legacy of founding IUC Director Dr. Robert Ray at tribute concert, May 1, at Powell Hall

(April 18, 2023, St. Louis, MO) – The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and its IN UNISON Chorus will pay tribute to the life and legacy of Dr. Robert Ray in a free community concert at Powell Hall on Monday, May 1, 2023. Ray was the founding director of the IN UNISON Chorus, a resident SLSO chorus that specializes in the performance and preservation of music from the African diaspora. He passed away in December 2022 at age 76.

The concert celebrates Ray’s many contributions to the country’s arts and music landscape, featuring the IN UNISON Chorus, SLSO musicians, vocalists Jennifer Kelley and Jermaine Smith, and singers from ensembles impacted by Ray’s signature musicianship, led by current chorus director Kevin McBeth and guest conductor Dr. Brandon Boyd.

The concert is Monday, May 1, at 7:30pm. Free tickets can be reserved by visiting slso.org.

Marie-Hélène Bernard, President and CEO of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, said, “Dr. Robert Ray was a trailblazer—a brilliant musician and educator with a heart for the St. Louis community. His formation and leadership of the IN UNISON Chorus, and his devotion to its evolution as an essential choral group in the region, is one of countless legacies he leaves. We are honored to pay tribute to his legacy with the IN UNISON Chorus and Director Kevin McBeth.”

With unwavering dedication, Ray led the ensemble from its formation in 1994 through 2010, shaping its distinct sound and deep artistic profile. In addition to his wholehearted leadership of the IN UNISON Chorus for 16 years, Ray was a gifted composer and teacher, guiding many young musicians into their careers as a professor first at the University of Illinois, and most recently at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. His music filled many spaces, from local churches all the way to Carnegie Hall. Many of his compositions blended elements of music from the African diaspora with traditional classical forms, resulting in pieces with a singular voice. The SLSO and IN UNISON Chorus have performed selections from Ray’s Gospel Mass many times since its SLSO premiere in December 1996.

The free community concert highlights Ray’s career as a composer, director, and educator. More than 200 singers from various ensembles impacted by Ray will collaborate on the concert, including the IN UNISON Chorus and IUC alumni, The Legend Singers, the UMSL Community Choir, and the choirs of Manchester United Methodist Church and Webster Groves Presbyterian Church. Current IN UNISON Chorus Director Kevin McBeth will lead the concert alongside Dr. Brandon Boyd, a protégé of Ray’s and the Assistant Director of Choral Activities and Assistant Professor of Choral Music Education at the University of Missouri. Boyd’s I’ll Fly Away and Sign Me Up will be performed. The concert includes music by John Rutter, whose music Ray championed during his career. The performance includes selections from Ray’s own Gospel Mass—a landmark work that has been performed in Carnegie Hall—with well-known local vocalists Jennifer Kelley and Jermaine Smith, as well as Ray’s He Never Failed Me Yet. Throughout the concert, family, friends, and past and present IN UNISON Chorus members will remember Ray through song, poetry, and spoken word.

Calendar listing:
The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and its IN UNISON Chorus will pay tribute to Robert Ray, the late founding director of the chorus, in a special community concert at Powell Hall on May 1. Tickets are free and may be reserved at slso.org.

Monday, May 1, 2023, 7:00pm
Powell Hall, 718 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO

Kevin McBeth, conductor
Dr. Brandon Boyd, conductor
Jennifer Kelley, soprano
Jermaine Smith, tenor
St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON Chorus | Kevin McBeth, director
The Legend Singers
UMSL Community Choir
Manchester United Methodist Church choir
Webster Groves Presbyterian Church choir

John RUTTER Selections from Suite Antique
Brandon BOYD I’ll Fly Away
Evelyn SIMPSON-CURENTON O Glory
Jeffrey AMES In Remembrance
Isaac CATES It’s Working
Brandon BOYD Sign Me Up
Robert RAY Selections from Gospel Mass
Robert RAY He Never Failed Me Yet