Esma Orgeron
July 2, 2007
NSU business college dean elected to state CPA board
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They came from all over the world, teens and adults. Joining their voices in song, their mission was simply to uplift those affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
The Youth Symphony for the United Nations (YSUN), based in New York, California-based Reconciliation Singer Voices of Peace (RSVP) and the local Les Danser De Bonne Terre performed last week at the Houma Municipal Auditorium, The stop was an included stop on the Louisiana Reclamation Through Music Concert Tour.
The Friends Ambassadors Foundation, a Connecticut-based, non-profit organization, presented the open concerts with the help of Terrebonne Council on Aging.
“Houma was our first stop,” said YSUN artistic director Yin-Chu Jou. “The students decided that they wanted to travel to Louisiana to share their music with the people affected by Katrina and Rita.”
The trip proved to be enlightening for YSUN members, who learned about Houma’s culture. The director has already made plans to come back next year with another group of performers.
“We can understand and appreciate the local culture,” Jou said. “Everybody has been focusing on New Orleans, and they’ve forgotten about Houma’s damages from Rita.”
Lauren Campbell, 16, of Westchester County in New York, said Louisiana is in a league of its own. The bassoon player said, “Hearing the stories from the Katrina and Rita victims has opened my eyes to what people go through outside of my community.”
Cello player Simon Edmonds-Langham, 15, of Rye, N.Y., added, “People in my neighborhood would rather go to their summer homes in Hawaii. I say why not spend your money and time helping someone in need.”
For violinist Gregory Valedespino, 15, of New York, the trip was made at his mother’s urging. She wanted him to visit Louisiana to experience another culture – especially New Orleans’ delectable cuisine, he said.
The youth orchestra is made up of young and professional artists ranging from ages 13 to 16. Conducted by Boris Gerasimov, the group’s performances promote peace and youth initiative, Jou said.
Friends Ambassadors Foundation’s executive director Patrick Sciarratta developed the orchestra concept. The symphony combines local concerts and international tours to promote cultural exchanges and mutual understandings, which provide a greater learning opportunity for the youths.
RSVP’s music compliments the sound, he said.
During the fall, RSVP artistic director Julie Adams compiled a collection of spiritual songs to perform for various concerts benefiting Louisiana.
“We didn’t know much about the area, so we had to research and find things that are meaningful to this culture,” said singer Jonathan Raines.
Adams organized the singing group in 2000 as a way to raise money for charities. “We have a purpose outside of entertaining,” singer Lin Walker said.
The California-based chorus has already performed concerts in their home state for the Louisiana Katrina Relief organizations, including the Pastors’ Resource Council and Building on Higher Ground.
For six seasons, the group has presented uplifting and powerful performances. Houma opens the seventh season for the singers.
“We can appreciate the outside tourist area of Houma,” Walker said. “It seems to have more Louisiana culture than New Orleans.”
At the concert, the group performed music that caters to the Bayou State including Randy Newman’s “Louisiana 1927.”
“This song talks about the flood of 1927,” Raines said. “Back then and now, Louisianans felt like Humpty Dumpty – trying to put the pieces back together.”
The Reconciliation Singer Voices of Peace, a California-based musical group, was part of the Louisiana Reclamation Through Music Concert Tour in town last week. The Friends Ambassadors Foundation, a Connecticut-based, non-profit organization, hosted the performance, which was held at the Houma Municipal Auditorium. The Terrebonne Council on Aging were among those who enjoyed the show. * Staff photo by SOPHIA RUFFIN
