There was a brief, but touching moment that was repeated during the Tornado Relief Concert held Sunday afternoon at The Fabulous Fox. Stéphane Denève, The Joseph and Emily Rauh Pulitzer Music Director for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, and IN UNISON Chorus director Kevin McBeth shared conductor duties on Sunday afternoon. As they took turns, a hug or handshake would take place before the other stepped into the conductor’s stand. It was as if they were a tag team enthusiastically sending the other off with encouragement to get the job done.
The gesture was symbolic of the team effort to produce and present the performance – and the commitment to rebuild after the devastation.
“Your legacy will always be what you did for others.”
Michael McMillan
The “pay what you can” concert raised more than $200,000 and counting. Organizations, charitable foundations and individuals worked together to support the massive undertaking of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis as they continue to provide tornado relief services in response to the devastating storms that took place May 16.
Marie-Hélène Bernard, President and CEO of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra thanked the members of her organization for donating their time and talents. She also expressed gratitude to The Fabulous Fox for providing space to present the concert that featured Grammy winner BeBe Winans along with the orchestra, the St. Louis Symphony Chorus and the IN UNISON Chorus and The Muny for assisting with organization and logistics.
“Funds raised today will go directly to the Urban League. The Symphony, The Fox, The Muny…everyone is covering their own cost,” Bernard said as she mentioned several other names who made the event possible. “We are here today to provide support to the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis for their relief efforts. Their work is critical in supporting our communities and our neighbors and friends.”
According to Urban League President and CEO Michael McMillan, Bernard called his organization the very day the storm touched down on May 16 with a simple question. “How can the Symphony help?”
The inquiry was on brand for Bernard since her arrival in 2015.
“When she came to St. Louis, she immediately reached out and said, ‘I want to create a relationship with the Urban League,” McMillan said. “I want to bring everyone together – every race, rich, poor, young and old. She is someone who is a gem in our community.”
Every mention of his organization after that, he referred to the institution as “your Urban League.”
“Over the last six weeks, your Urban League has been at the forefront of providing food, clothing, shelter – getting 400 people into hotels at the expense of almost one million dollars a month to make sure they have some place to lay their heads,” McMillan said. “Every Saturday, we are giving away over $300,000 worth of items to 3000 people in this community. We will continue, because your Urban League is going to work harder than ever to deal with the tragedy of this tornado – and do more than we have ever done.”
The performance began with Samuel Barber’s “Adagio For Strings.” Composed in 1938, the work is one of the world’s most famous pieces of classical music. The song has often been used as a musical response to monumental grief, including the September 11 attacks, the Orlando nightclub shooting of 2016 and the lives impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. It was broadcast following the announcement of the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1945 and after the funeral of John F. Kennedy nearly 20 years later.
And on Sunday it was performed in tribute to Patricia Pendleton and others who lost their lives when the devastating tornado touched down in the region.
“She was a charter member of the IN UNISON Chorus who sang with the group for more than 25 years,” McBeth said. “Ms. Pat was known throughout our community as a person who got things done. Her influence and generosity will continue to live on through our music.”
True to form, Sunday’s rendition reflected sorrow – and yet somehow provided nourishment and optimism as Denève brought the piece to a close.
“May 16 uprooted many lives in our region,” McBeth said.
In his IN UNISON origin story, he talked about how 35 partner churches joined forces more than 30 years ago to create the renowned chorus. Of those 35, nine churches sustained damage from the tornado. It was at Centennial Church where Pendleton was among those churches.
“A portion of the funds raised will directly help these houses of worship rebuild,” McBeth said.
The program also featured an original poem by IN UNISON Chorus member and published author Teresia Simmons and the community’s response to the storm’s impact.
“We saw love. We saw hope. We saw family. We saw the village,” Simmons read. “St. Louis, the road is long to recovery. But hope and love will (prevail) – and has prevailed.”
The responsibility to introduced featured soloist BeBe Winans was upon McBeth since it followed his turn.
“Another aspect of today was to find a guest artist who reflected the mission of this benefit, and would bring a level of music to the event that lifted us even higher,” McBeth said.
Winans emerged wearing a colorful blazer he called his “Joseph jacket” and full of gratitude – particularly for David and Thelma Steward, who were among the people listed as those who helped make the concert possible.
“I absolutely love when you are under – and around – people who just have hearts for giving and loving everyone,” Winans said. “You can’t help but say yes when they pick up the phone and say, ‘come to St. Louis.’”
He performed the upbeat “Teach Me” and “Born for This” – a song he described as his autobiography.
For the final selection, there was no “tag” between McBeth and Denève – because he was a part of the team in a different way. As the singers belted the spiritual “Freedom’s Plow” he was on the choir stand singing alongside the other tenors being directed by McBeth.
The culminating moment of the afternoon was McMillan’s returned to the stage to announce the initial tally of funds raised from the concert. The final count will be released on Monday, July 6.
“This is a defining moment for us in St. Louis,” McMillan said. “As the Jesuits used to tell me and others in high school every single day, you will never be remembered for what you did for yourself. Your legacy will always be what you did for others.”
Living It content is produced with funding by the ARPA for the Arts grants program in partnership with the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis and the Community Development Administration.
