There are moments in dwell music when one thing magical occurs—when particular person voices turn out to be one thing larger, when separate worlds collide and create magnificence. June 18th on the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Middle was a kind of moments.
The Clark Sisters introduced 5 a long time of gospel mastery to Mission Unity’s fifth annual “Collectively We Sing” fundraiser, their legendary harmonies lifting the symphony corridor into one thing approaching the sacred. Twinkie, Dorinda, Karen, and Jacky took the stage with the quiet confidence of girls who’ve spent their lives shifting souls, and for 2 hours, they did precisely that.
The classical strings didn’t compete with gospel royalty—they embraced it. The outcome was transcendent, every violin bow stroke supporting voices which have comforted congregations and impressed generations. Orchestral swells carrying acquainted melodies into uncharted territory whereas honoring its roots, pure concord.
Maestro Leon Lacey, who has performed for Beyoncé and Usher, guided the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and 200-voice Unity Choir by way of preparations that required each technical precision and religious sensitivity. The choir, drawn from church buildings throughout the metroplex, stuffed each nook of the corridor with sound that ranged from hushed reverence to joyful thunder. After they joined the Clark Sisters for the night’s climactic moments, the partitions appeared to vanish.
The night carried further weight by way of its tribute to Shaun Martin, the Dallas-born jazz innovator whose demise in 2023 left a gap within the metropolis’s musical coronary heart. In a venue the place he as soon as carried out, his spirit felt current in each collaborative second.
Dr. Linda Corridor-Searight obtained recognition for her lifelong contributions to gospel music, her acknowledgment including one other layer of honor to a night already wealthy with musical heritage. The group included Dallas music luminaries like American Idol‘s Canaan James Hill and soul singer Tommye Younger-West, their presence reflecting the occasion’s capacity to attract collectively the town’s numerous artistic neighborhood.
However this was greater than a live performance—it was a manifestation of founder Richie Butler’s imaginative and prescient for Mission Unity. His group operates as a collaborative motion amongst Dallas-area spiritual, enterprise, civic, philanthropic, grassroots and authorities organizations, constructed on the faith-driven perception that what unites us is bigger than what divides us. Via dialogue, community-building occasions, training, and empowerment initiatives centered on the theme “Collectively We,” Mission Unity has turn out to be a robust drive for connection in North Texas.
“Collectively We Sing is greater than a live performance; it’s a celebration of cultural richness, religion, and the unifying energy of music,” Butler defined.
Anchoring the musical celebration had been the Unity Awards, recognizing leaders and organizations creating actual change throughout Dallas. The 2025 honorees included:
Company Unity Award· Activism Award-Texas Well being Assets· Advocate Award-Williams Rooster
Group Unity Award· Activism Award-North Texas Fee· Advocate Award-The Meadows Basis· Legacy Award-Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum
Particular person Unity Award· Activism Award-Almas Muscatwalla· Advocate Award-Timothy Powers· Legacy Award-Dr. Michael Hinojosa
The Distinguished Trailblazer Award was offered to ninety fifth Linz Award recipient, Roland G. Parrish
This partnership between Mission Unity and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra has produced a number of collaborations since 2019, together with a robust 2020 Unity Live performance honoring victims of racial violence. Every occasion builds on Butler’s conviction that music can create house for therapeutic and connection.
Because the night concluded with each voice—Clark Sisters, symphony, choir, and viewers—becoming a member of in concord, one thing stunning turned clear. In a world that always feels fractured, gatherings like “Collectively We Sing” show that unity isn’t simply a super—it’s a alternative communities could make after they determine to elevate their voices collectively.
The success of this fifth annual fundraiser ensures Mission Unity can proceed constructing bridges throughout Dallas, one be aware at a time.
Gallery Picture Credit score: Chloethecr8tive
