Ysaye Barnwell,
a member of the African-American female a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey in The Rock, is a composer, arranger, author, and actress. A vocalist with a range of more than three octaves, she appears on more than 25 recordings with Sweet Honey and other artists.
Building a Vocal Community
There is an awesome power in the human voice, and when uncommon voices are blended for the common good they become a “vocal community” at its best. Masterfully led by Ysaye Barnwell, composer and longtime performer with Sweet Honey in the Rock, singers and non-singers alike will share the common experience of learning in the oral tradition and singing rhythms, chants, traditional songs from Africa and the Diaspora, and a variety of songs from African American culture including spirituals, ring shouts, hymns, gospels, and songs from the civil rights movement.