The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at UBC opens its 20th anniversary season on Saturday, September 23 at 8pm, welcoming The Blind Boys of Alabama with Ben Heppner to the Chan Shun Concert Hall. In this momentous pairing, five-time GRAMMY-winning gospel ensemble the Blind Boys will combine talents with one of the most distinguished dramatic tenors of his generation, Ben Heppner, in an evening of traditional and modern gospel music.
“To kick off our milestone season, we knew we wanted to invite esteemed UBC alumnus and Canadian opera icon Ben Heppner back to the Chan Centre,” says Joyce Hinton, Co-Managing Director and curator of the Chan Centre Presents series. “I was fortunate enough to experience his performance in our inaugural season, so it really feels like a full circle celebration. The Blind Boys of Alabama are, of course, legends in their own right. Once I discovered their and Ben’s exciting collaboration in 2015, I set out to reunite them and make this special performance a reality for our opening concert.”
The Blind Boys of Alabama have the unique distinction of being recognized as both treasured forefathers and modern-day innovators of gospel music. The original members began singing together as children at an institute for the blind in the 1930s (including Jimmy Carter, who leads the group today). The group then doggedly toured throughout the south during the Jim Crow era of racial segregation, their music becoming a soundtrack for the civil rights movement.
In a rare presentation on September 23, 2017, Heppner will return to his gospel roots, performing on his own and together with the Blind Boys. Audiences will also be treated to new works from the Blind Boys’ upcoming record, Almost Home, set for release on August 18, 2017.
The Blind Boys of Alabama with Ben Heppner
Date: Saturday, September 23, 2017 at 8pm
Ticket prices: From $54
Address: Chan Centre for the Performing Arts University of British Columbia 6265 Crescent Road, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1
Box Office: 604-822-2697 / chancentre.com
In person at the Chan Centre ticket office
Open Tue-Sat, 12pm-5pm
Website: chancentre.com
Photo by Cameron Witting