Big music and big love: Tamela and David Mann bring the gospel to Boston Pops
Every year, Gospel Night ends the Boston Pops’ city season with soul-soaring melodies and the powerful rhythms of the Boston Pops Gospel Choir. This year, the orchestra performs with married duo Grammy winner Tamela Mann and award-winning actor and comedian David Mann.
The Manns began their work in the entertainment industry as members of the Kirk Franklin and The Family choir in the 1990s. Gospel has always been at the core of their talents, but they’ve also become known for film and television appearances, particularly in the Tyler Perry franchise. The couple just celebrated their 37-year anniversary and part of their mission is to encourage couples to foster healthy, long-term love.
The Banner spoke with Tamela and David about the performance and their work together. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Banner: This will be your first time performing with the Boston Pops. What are you most looking forward to?
David: To bringing a classical element to some of gospel’s favorite songs. You mix gospel and classical, that’s got to be magical.
Tamela: I’m excited for all the elements to come together and for the elegance of it. It’s almost like a woman in her wedding, you know, you put on your wedding dress and you get all dolled up.
What can we expect to hear during the performance?
Tamela: I’m going to do “The Lord’s Prayer,” I’m going to do “Take Me to the King,” I’m going to do “God Provides.” It’s a nice fit we put together for everyone.
David: We’re also doing music from our love album. We’re doing “Good Love,” which chronicles our journey in this entertainment industry, our journey keeping that love in this industry that’s known for divorce.
What do you think makes gospel such a powerful genre?
David: The essence of what gospel is is the good news. We’re bringing good news, and we especially need that in these times when the economy is bad, people lose each other, people lose hope. We’re bringing the good news.
What else are you working on right now?
David: What we’re working on is we’re starting a new season of our television show “Assisted Living.”
Tamela: And we’re working on our relationship tour. We’re very excited to put that together and to encourage families and relationships to stay together and not quit and give up on each other.
What do you hope the audience takes away from the Boston Pops Gospel Night?
Tamela: I’m hoping that they take away a lot of inspiration, a lot of joy. To know that God will provide, that you’re not alone, that you can make it and you deserve to win, even when people think that you don’t deserve these things. I hope that you walk away feeling refreshed, renewed, uplifted.
The Boston Pops Gospel Night is June 7 at 7:30 p.m. at Symphony Hall with Charles Floyd conducting.
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