Posted by Mary Wimberley on 2007-09-04

Singer and writer Steven Kimbrough will perform his Sweet Singer musical drama on the life of Charles Wesley at Samford University Monday, Sept. 24, at 7:30 p.m. in Brock Recital Hall. The public is invited free of charge.

Kimbrough, a Birmingham native and internationally known operatic singer and recording artist, debuted Sweet Singer in 1985 at Carnegie Hall in New York City. In the years since, he has presented the one-person narrative and vocal performance to audiences worldwide. His accompanist will be his sister, Birmingham pianist Mary K. Jackson.

Wesley, co-founder of the Methodist movement, was the author of thousands of hymns, many of which are sung in churches today.

Kimbrough, a graduate of Birmingham-Southern College, has had parallel careers as a scholar, performer and minister. He holds a doctorate in Semitic languages and has taught in the U.S. and Europe. During his service on the Global Mission Board of the United Methodist Church, the board collected, published and recorded an array of Christian music from cultures worldwide.

He has performed more than 40 major roles as leading baritone of the Bonn Opera company and with other leading opera houses.

His Samford performance is part of a two-day workshop, "Charles Wesley and the Church Today: A Celebration of the 300th Anniversary of the Birth of Charles Wesley (1707-1788) and His Legacy to Christians in Our Time."

The workshop is sponsored by Samford's Resource Center for Pastoral Excellence (RCPE), School of Performing Arts, Beeson Divinity School and Department of Religion.

For information on the Sweet Singer presentation, call the Samford School of Performing Arts at (205) 726-2851. To register for the workshop, call the RCPE at (205) 726-4064 or check the website at www.samford.edu/rcpe.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 5,791 students from 49 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.