THE IMPRESSIONS, MEMBERS OF THE DAP-KINGS SING IN CELEBRATION OF CIVIL RIGHTS AT HISTORIC PLYMOUTH CHURCH FOR LET FREEDOM RING: A CONCERT TO BENEFIT FREE THE SLAVES

On January 11, 2014, Plymouth Church will present "Let Freedom Ring!: A Concert to Benefit Free the Slaves." This major musical event, held on National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, will feature The Impressions, members of the Dap-Kings, and other special guests. Funds raised will benefit the organization Free the Slaves, which is dedicated to ending slavery worldwide in our lifetime.

The Impressions will team up with Brooklyn's Binky Griptite and a group of musicians featuring members of the Dap-Kings and some very special guests. Many consider the music of Rock & Roll Hall of Famers The Impressions the soundtrack to the civil rights movement. They are 1998 Grammy Hall of Fame inductees for their hit "People Get Ready," which is ranked at #24 on the Rolling Stone list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

This is a rare chance to hear The Impressions' best known songs addressing and advancing the black freedom movement of the Sixties on the strength of indelible songs of striving and transcendence, such as "Keep on Pushing," "Amen", "We're a Winner" and "People Get Ready," all performed by the group's original members Fred Cash, Sam Gooden and Reggie Torian (who replaced former lead vocalist Curtis Mayfield in the early '70s), and backed by a mighty band.

As part of a weekend that will focus on the problem of historical and modern-day slavery, Plymouth, in partnership with Brooklyn Historical Society, will also be offering a panel discussion featuring anti-trafficking experts on January 10 at Brooklyn Historical Society, where the exhibit "Brooklyn Abolitionists: In Pursuit of Freedom" will open in early January.

Although Plymouth Church was not established until 1847, just fourteen years before the start of the Civil War, it later became known locally as "the Grand Central Depot" of the Underground Railroad. Plymouth Church is one of the few active Underground Railroad congregations in New York still housed in its original location. Minister and church founder Henry Ward Beecher was a prominent abolitionist who compiled a book of hymns and understood the power of music in faith and in politics.