Alumnus Anthony Brown to perform concert for peace, Nov. 8

Concert: Anthony Brown concert to benefit the Peacing it Together Foundation
Date and time: Sunday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m.
Location: Rieth Recital Hall, Goshen College Music Center
Cost: $10 per person. Tickets available at the Welcome Center, (574) 535-7566.
Event sponsors: New Perspectives on Faith of Goshen and the Goshen College Institutional Advancement Division
Web sites: www.anthonybrownbaritone.net & www.peacingittogether.org

GOSHEN, Ind. – Anthony Brown, an acclaimed baritone and goodwill ambassador for peace and goodwill around the world, will present a stirring evening of music with a message of peace at Goshen College in the Music Center's Rieth Recital Hall on Sunday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m.

Brown, a 1971 graduate of Goshen College and Artist-in-Residence at Hesston (Kan.) College, uses music to promote peace and reconciliation. He will present a special program of music and descriptions of his work and experiences in other cultures and faith contexts in a program titled "Peacing It Together: Building Interfaith Bridges with Music." He will be accompanied by Ken Rodgers, a music professor at Hesston. Proceeds will benefit the Peacing it Together Foundation, which Brown founded to bring people together across divides of religion, ethnicity, nationality, race and culture through musical events that promote peace and social justice throughout the world.

Brown's peace work has taken him to such political hot spots as Bosnia, Northern Ireland, China, Japan, Moldova, Ukraine, Russia, Uganda, South Korea and Ethiopia. In each venue, Brown's performances connected people and helped them focus on how all are part of the family of humanity. He also partners with other noted musicians who share his passion for peacemaking. As a licensed psychotherapist, Brown uses music to promote peace and reconciliation in countries where peoples' lives are torn by war and civil strife.

Jim Caskey, Goshen College's interim vice president for institutional advancement, said Brown is a distinguished Goshen College alumnus who uses his musical mastery to communicate important messages. "For decades, Tony Brown's mission as a performer has been to cross boundaries and to promote peace. His work and passion are in alignment with Goshen College's core values of promoting global citizenship and compassionate peacemaking. We are pleased to have the opportunity to partner with New Perspectives on Faith to bring Tony back home to his alma mater to entertain and inspire our community as well as our students, faculty and staff."

Brown recorded his first compact disc of African American Spirituals in 1995 and his second in 2002. He released his second spirituals recording in 2002. His compact disc "Embracing American Song" (1999), offers a wide array of American songs from the romantic ballad to classic American folk songs. And he released his fourth recording in 2006, titled "Each Other's Light" with songs of peace, hope and justice.

As a classical musician, Brown has appeared as an oratorio soloist performing Bach's St. Matthew's Passion, Handel's Messiah, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Mozart's Requiem, Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem and Mendelssohn's Elijah. Operatic performances include principal roles in Mozart's Die Fledermaus, Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors, Puccini's Gianni Schicci and Gershwin's Porgy and Bess.

This concert cost is $10 per person and advance tickets can be purchased by calling the Goshen College Welcome Center at (574) 535-7566.

The concert is sponsored by New Perspectives on Faith of Goshen and the Goshen College Institutional Advancement Division.

Norman Kauffmann, a steering committee member for New Perspectives on Faith, said the Tony Brown concert is consistent with the mission of his organization. "The primary mission of New Perspectives is to foster inter-congregational, inter-denominational and inter-faith conversations that contribute to new perspectives on faith for a new millennium. Anthony Brown has used music for many years to build interfaith bridges," he said.

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college's Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron's Best Buys in Education, "Colleges of Distinction," "Making a Difference College Guide" and U.S.News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges" edition, which named Goshen a "least debt college." Visit www.goshen.edu.