Home for the Holidays with Calvin Arsenia & Friends
Second Presbyterian Church, 318 E 55th St, Kansas City, MO 64113
Adults $20/$25 at door Children (12 & under) $10/$12 at door DOORS AT 6:30/ PERFORMANCE AT 7:00
A Candlelit Christmas Concert with Calvin Arsenia, Havilah Bruders, & Deonna Marie About this Event Grab your loved ones and come celebrate the sounds of the Season during this intimate candlelit concert in Kansas City’s Second Presbyterian Church with renowned vocalists Calvin Arsenia, Havilah Bruders, & Deonna Marie
This beautiful family friendly program of traditional holiday classics and acoustic carols will warm your heart and fill your soul with peace, joy & hope. A sing-along as well as a very special rendition of “Oh Holy Night” rounds out this not-to-be-missed evening of holiday cheer.
~Calvin Arsenia~
Voted Kansas City’s Best Musician 2018 & 2019 (PitchKC), featured on NPR’s World Cafe, NEWNOWNEXT, Pride.com, & Billboard, Calvin Arsenia has built a reputation for turning the arts world on its head.
Arsenia’s angelic, classically-trained voice soars over audiences, while his multi-instrumental skills, particularly that of the Celtic harp, shocks & enchants them as he flirts between genres. While the harp has allowed this Kansas City native to become a man of the world (gaining followings in Paris, Edinburgh, and at the Outlyre festival in Austria), it’s his unique ability to craft a stimulating setting at his live shows that has all eyes fixed on this conspicuous musician and his breathtaking approach to harp music.
“Jeff Buckley meets Nina Simone with this soul of Sam Cooke, and the sparkle of Bjork.”
But the music is just part of his prodigious performance, for Calvin believes the art is in crafting the perfect moment. His music is best served live, with sensational vocals and avant-garde fashion from the visually striking performer who stands at 6’6”. Arsenia’s height, energy, and curated environments fill the often intimate spaces he performs in.
Brought into 9 countries through public and private grants in less than a decade, Arsenia builds a scene for his audience packed with beauty and lasting delight.
"While everyone else is feeling crushed by the weight of the world, Calvin is out chasing beauty… and he’s taking us all along for the ride."
-IHEARTLOCALMUSIC
~Havilah Bruders~
As a soulful, affecting vocalist with incredible range and versatility, Havilah Bruders has become one of Kansas City’s most in-demand performers. She has an ability to perform jazz, blues, rock-n-roll, soul, gospel, classic country, folk, classical, world and choral music like each is her sole focus.
Bruders has sung with the William Jewel Concert Choir, the Fine Arts Chorale, and the Independence Messiah Choir, with which she performed at Carnegie Hall.
She also sang the Contralto solo last year in Handel's Messiah.
Havilah and her husband Kris front the Delta rock band, Cadillac Flambe. She is also a member of a couple of seasonal bands; ”The Band That Fell to Earth”, a David Bowie Tribute band that performs annually in January, and “Blarney Stone”, an Irish band that plays around town for St. Patrick's day.
Additionally, Bruders starred in the musical “A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline”. She has continued to pay tribute to Patsy’s music in the past “Fool's Gold Country Revue” shows hosted by Beau Bledsoe at Musical Theatre Heritage in Crown Center.
https://m.facebook.com/HavilahsingsKC/
~Deonna Marie~
Deonna Marie is an award-winning soprano & vocal coach from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Graduate of a bachelors degree in Vocal Performance, and Masters Degree in Opera Performance from the University of Central Oklahoma, Marie was one of the last students to study under the famous Broadway producing teacher, Florence Birdwell. Since then, Marie has studied with Grammy award winning stars such as Simon Estes, Denyce Graves, eight season Metropolitan opera star Leona Mitchell, Grammy award winner Duane Davis, Leona Mitchell, Denyce Graves, and many icons in music from opera to gospel with over a decade devoted to classical music. She has also performed with the critically acclaimed vocal jazz group New York Voices, Bobby McFerrin Jr., 10 time Grammy Award winning jazz group Take 6, Sanna Valvanne, & gospel legend & Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, and pianist, Richard Smallwood. Marie has been featured in productions for Opera Grand Rapids, Key West Young Artist Program, Harrower Opera Summer Workshop, Oklahoma City University, Opera Breve Vocal Intensive, & has sung with many collegiate, gospel, jazz, and community organizations, ensembles and choirs, including the nationally known ensemble Shades of Blue, Ambassadors Concert Choir, and Grand Rapids Opera Chorus. Additionally, Marie was a soloist in the Umbria Jazz Festival in Perugia, Italy, where she also studied Italian at the Università per Stranieri di Perugia.
Deonna Marie is the recipient of multiple awards including first place in The Ladies Music Collegiate Vocal Competition and is now an active member of The Ladies Music Club. She also received first place in the Adult Division of The National Association of Teachers of Singing and received the Woman of Distinction Award presented by The Black Women’s Roundtable in Michigan.
Marie has the rare ability to sing in several different genres and languages from Mozart to Aretha Franklin. Her work as a professional vocal coach has ranged from various performers including Kansas City’s own recording and performing artist Calvin Arsenia, to Gospel recording sensation & seven time Grammy nominee Vanesa Bell Armstrong.
