From Tulsa, Oklahoma comes this story by James D. Watts, Jr. for Tulsaworld.com on Shirley Childress Saxton, the woman who serves as sign language interpreter for the a capella singing group Sweet Honey In The Rock. Ms. Saxton joined the ensemble in 1980 and is a permanent member of the group, a symbol of the ensemble's bedrock commitment to the deaf community:
"'For many deaf people, music simply is not a part of their lives,' Saxton said, speaking by phone from her home in the Washington D.C. area. 'It takes a lot of courage and open-mindedness on the part of deaf people even to set foot in a concert hall.'
'But it has been a part of the mission of Sweet Honey in the Rock from the beginning to make its performances accessible and inclusive to all people,' she said. 'And there aren't many performers out there that have been willing to make the interpretation of their work for the deaf an integral part of what they do.'" Full story
Sweet Honey In The Rock and Shirley Childress Saxton return to the Celebrity Series and Symphony Hall on May 6, 2007.
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