When the Mixed Magic Exult Choir comes together to sing, there is a palpable magic in the air. “Some of it is technical and practical,” says artistic director Jonathon Pitts-Wiley. “Kim [the choir director] makes sure the instruments are tuned at a certain frequency, 432 Hertz, the healing frequency. There is intention in what Kim and the choir pour into performances.”
Pitts-Wiley explains that Mixed Magic Exult Choir director Kim Morrison Pitts-Wiley directs “with an elite variety of skill sets. She has a keen ability to get the best performance out of people by earnestly investing in each of the choir members.”
The Exult Choir was formed in 2008 at Mixed Magic Theater to preserve and celebrate the great African American tradition of gospel music.
“I’ve not seen a choir quite like Exult,” says community organizer and photojournalist Aiyah Josiah-Faeduwor. “What they do is beyond uplifting with their voices and presence. They take an entire space, audience, and community to the highest versions of ourselves in that moment. It’s truly a liberating experience every time I have the honor of bearing witness to their performance.”
The choir presents four major concerts a year, with prestigious credits such as opening for Dr. Maya Angelou and the RI Philharmonic. Their upcoming concert, titled EXULTATION, will feature a wide range of musical styles from soul to jazz, gospel to pop, and classic to contemporary. Treat yourself to a night of musical elation and rejoicing on Tuesday, Feb 27 at Providence Performing Arts Center at 7pm.
Valerie Tutson, the executive director of RI Black Storytellers, echoes this sentiment: “Lately they have been singing some of my favorite Sweet Honey In The Rock songs with such beauty and power. We need those songs again now more than ever!”
Mixed Magic Theatre co-founder and executive director Bernadet Pitts-Wiley explains that the properties of healing are woven into the mission of the theater. “That is the way that we approach theater as a whole. People will tell you that we are in the business of saving lives.”
EXULTATION will be a tribute to gospel legends Sister Barbara Bryant and the esteemed Annye Raye Pitts. The two of them took gospel music all over the country. Sister Barbara Bryant will join the choir onstage on February 27, while Annye Raye Pitts will be blessing the event in spirit.
For more info about EXULTATION and to buy tickets, visit ppacri.org/events. Discounts available for group ticket purchases. To learn about Exult Choir and Mixed Magic Theatre, visit mmtri.org
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