by Sophie Holder, Director of Racial Equity
On Saturday 18 October the Diocese of Leicester hosted its first ever Black History Month concert, ‘The Sound of Power and Pride’, at Holy Trinity Church Leicester (HTL).
More than 250 attendees were greeted into the church to ambient tones of The Halls String Quartet.
Teenagers, adults and retirees of various backgrounds filled the proverbial pews, having travelled from Leicestershire, Nottingham, London and further south to celebrate and worship.
Bishop Saju Muthalaly and Reverend Elaine Sutherland of HTL Church opened the concert by welcoming guests to the church with an opening prayer.
With a 40-year career in Christian music and multiple features on Songs of Praise, Gospel Hall of Fame artist Noel Robinson, headlined the event. His set electrified the concert, while he looked out on the congregation to witness attendees standing and praising. This was an unforgettable moment.
BIG Gospel Choir, Vadé and Naomi Parchment joined to perform, and what stood out most, apart from their exceptional voices, was how they unified worship with culture and heritage. Performing songs with strong links to Black history and suffrage, such as ‘Wade in the Water’, they also shared personal stories of joy and family struggle within the UK.
While the night was a celebration of music, it also connected people to important achievements being made in the county by Black community-rooted organisations. Caribbean Court (an initiative within The Caribbean Collective) and arts organisation Opal 22 were both spotlighted and awarded for their services to the Black community within the city. Caribbean Court is a 50-year old organisation, managing a daycare centre to support elderly people, specifically those from African Caribbean background. Board of Trustees head, Albert Blake, discussed the importance of supporting and providing for our elderly communities, during a period when funding has become more challenging to secure.
Having spearheaded exhibitions and campaigns, such as the Casta paintings at Leicester Museum, founder of Opal 22, Tara Munroe spoke about the urgent need to push conversations on race by telling the stories that have too long been undocumented or ignored. Tara’s groundbreaking work has garnered national attention. Both Albert Blake and Tara Munroe were awarded certificates and a small monetary gift to support their on-going work within their organisations and the community.
Concert attendee, Kelly Aliowe, commented, "seeing the organisations recognised was a highlight for me. The night became about more than music. It was also about recognising Black history past and present and it made The Sound of Power and Pride bigger than just a concert."
As one of the first events organised by the Racial Equity Department at the Diocese, it was encouraging to see the engagement of various communities on the night. It affirms that people are willing and eager to see Christianity represented in all its beauty and diversity and we trust this will be one of many such initiatives in the coming years.
A special mention to the entire team at HTL Church, who this event would not have been possible without – thank you for all your time and generosity in the planning process.