Oakland

Mary Cobb-Hill, 72 Impresario of the Negro Spiritual

Published

6 years ago

December 15, 2017

Mary Alice Cobb-Hill was born in Oakland, March 16, 1945. She passed away on December 9, 2017 at Kaiser Hospital, Richmond after suffering a stroke. Mary was known throughout the Bay Area as an impresario of the Negro Spiritual. She performed as a soloist, arranger, teacher, choir director, poet, pianist and playwright.

The “Celebration of Life” memorial services will be held at 11am, Friday December 22, at the First Presbyterian Church of Oakland, 2619 Broadway, Oakland, CA. 94612.

She became acquainted with Negro spirituals at an early age and she sang with and was “trained up” by the youth choir at the Market Street Seventh Day Adventist Church in Oakland, CA. Where the spirituals were mainstay of hymnal music.

Her first Introduction to the spirituals was through her parents Mary Magdalene Bland Cobb and Roosevelt Vernon Cobb by singing as part of their evening family worship service at home, and also in church choirs. Mary’s mother, a teacher who had graduated from Langston University, shared the backstories of the Black stories of freedom from slavery as told through the Negro Spirituals.

Mary, who sang with Mahalia Jackson at the Oakland Auditorium, made the preservation of the spirituals her life-long passion — extending over 50 years. She also sang with Nina Simone with Mary Ann Pollard Productions, and other performances, lectures and through her professional training of many youth and adults.

She attended Golden Gate Academy in Oakland, Merritt and Laney Colleges in Oakland and the Pacific Union College in Angwin, CA.
Focused on music and voice, Mary took private lessons in classical opera singing from Esther Hughes, Janet Perlova, Edna Garabedian and Bernice Sprague.

As her contribution to the preservation of the Negro Spiritual, Mary wrote three musicals using exclusively the spirituals and related dialogue. They are titled Flowers from Heaven, Dis Train (which was recorded live and an album produced), and The Seven Exaltations of Simeon of Cyrene.

Mary is also the Founder and Creative Director of The Voices of Legacy, an outstanding community choir that has spanned more than 20 years. The group has performed for churches, schools, colleges, libraries, senior centers, community centers, and Black history programs of all types. The Voices of Legacy sang for the inauguration of then-Mayor Diane Feinstein at S.F. City Hall. The choir also performed in the Bahamas as an invited guest of the government.

Mary has trained dozens of singers, choosing as her medium of instruction the songs of our ancestors, the Black enslaved people of the United States. Through her tutelage, many others were introduced to the music of our African American heritage and learned the meanings of the songs and Bible verses from which they were taken.

Mary encouraged her students to read books on the subject and listen to master artists such as Marian Anderson, Leontyne Price, Paul Robeson, Jesse Norman, Kathleen Battle and many others who keep this music alive and perform them proudly in concerts and recitals.

She leaves to cherish her memory her husband Carl, daughters Maranatha and Gabrielle, grandchildren Duane, Josiah and Nicole, brothers Paul (Gay Plair) and Michael, sisters Gloria Jean Cobb and Sharon Cobb-Gray, brothers-in law James (Corita), Thomas (Jean), Ronnell (Earlene), sisters-in-law Halcyone (Paul), Linda and Joanne, a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and many other relatives and friends.https://mail.yahoo.com/neo/b/launch?fid=Inbox&fidx=1&ac=XzHCYm4HJl90sA4WQW2xcQJoXM0-&mailboxId=VjJ-Nk1CrWGg5i9Aj8Z11n_hXiw3zFFg6gBDbDaaDLZYVu2LOU95KlO4Qytvfl7qC-F5&.rand=2030238640

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

6 days ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

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BART to Retire Legacy Trains in Public Ceremony April 20

Published

2 weeks ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

The Richmond Standard

Bay Area Rapid Transit’s final dispatch of legacy trains will take place on Saturday, April 20, and will be accompanied by a retirement ceremony and a final legacy ride.

At 1 p.m., the public is invited to celebrate the last run of BART’s legacy trains during a ceremony that will take place in the free area of the plaza at MacArthur Station in Oakland.

Following the ceremony, the public is invited to board a legacy train and ride from MacArthur to Fremont Station, mirroring the initial service BART provided when it opened Sept. 11, 1972.

“It’s a 45-minute trip that travels along approximately 24 miles of the original section of tracks,” BART officials said.

Multiple legacy trains will run for the event, and all will make station stops and may turn around at Bay Fair depending on the number of attendees waiting to ride. Regular fares will apply.

“These train cars are part of the history of the Bay Area,” said Bob Powers, BART general manager. “While we are excited to modernize the system, we recognize the profound cultural importance of these cars, and we want to celebrate their rich history and give them a proper send off.”

BART is now running train cars from its Fleet of the Future project.

Those nostalgic for the older trains will be able to view three of them soon at Western Railway Museum in Suisun City.

A handful of other legacy cars will be transferred to be repurposed for short-term rentals, entertainment venues, and training facilities, according to BART. Most of the legacy cars have been recycled.

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Mind, Body, and Spiritual Well-Being for Women Addressed in NAACP Forum in Oakland

The Women In The NAACP Oakland Branch is proud to announce the upcoming “Total You – Mind, Body, and Spirit Women’s Health Forum” scheduled for April 27 at Acts Full Gospel Church. Running from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at 1034 66th Ave., this forum aims to provide an empowering platform for women to engage in discussions, gain knowledge, and access resources pertaining to their health and well-being.

Published

2 weeks ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

The panel will address various aspects of women’s health, including physical, mental and emotional well-being and relationships. iStock photo by Jorge Elizaquibel.

Special to The Post

The Women In The NAACP Oakland Branch is proud to announce the upcoming “Total You – Mind, Body, and Spirit Women’s Health Forum” scheduled for April 27 at Acts Full Gospel Church.

Running from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at 1034 66^th Ave., this forum aims to provide an empowering platform for women to engage in discussions, gain knowledge, and access resources pertaining to their health and well-being.

The forum will feature renowned experts, healthcare professionals, and advocates from Genentech, John Muir Health, Sutter Health of The East Bay, Kaiser Permanente, and the Alameda County Public Health Department.

Our expert panel will address various aspects of women’s health, including physical, mental, and emotional well-being, and healthy relationships. The forum will encompass a wide range of topics such as breast cancer, menopause, reproductive health, nutrition, mental health awareness, preventive care, and much more.

Participants will have the opportunity to attend informative sessions, interactive workshops, and panel discussions led by experts in their respective fields. Additionally, there will be wellness activities, screenings, and informational booths offering valuable resources and support.

This forum is open to women of all ages and backgrounds, encouraging inclusivity and diversity in the conversation surrounding women’s health. Whether you’re seeking information for yourself, a loved one, or simply looking to connect with other women, this event promises to be enlightening and empowering.

For more information and to register for the Total You Women’s Health Forum, please visit https://www.naacpoakland.org/ or contact Dr. Delores Thompson. WIN chairwoman at (510) 328-3638.

The Women In The NAACP Oakland Branch is dedicated to empowering women, and young teen girls. We look forward to your participation in this important event.

To register, go to https://www.naacpoakland.org/events/the-total-you-womens-health-forum