On a recent December afternoon, Broad Street Love’s tabernacle across from the Kimmel Center was filled with 40 men and women hanging together. This isn’t odd – retitled in March from its original name (Broad Street Ministry), Broad Street Love provides stabilizing services of food, shelter, clothing and community to locals experiencing deep poverty.
Today, however, these same men and women were being led in song by vocalists and pianists from Opera Philadelphia.
The group has been studying the very real dynamics of music, vocal technique and chorale singing together since summer, practicing ‘Seasons of Love’ from ‘Rent’, Billy Joel’s ‘Piano Man,’ and several Christmas favorites, as part of Opera Philadelphia and Broad Street Love’s Harmonious Communities partnership, which is geared toward bringing the transformative power of music to those experiencing poverty.
And on Dec. 18, the Harmonious Communities program culminates on Broad Street with two concerts.
Veronica Chapman-Smith, VP of Community Initiatives for Opera Philadelphia and Larry Downey, Broad Street Love’s Director of Development, moved throughout this crowd of 40, laughing with each BSL community member, encouraging their vocal prowess. BSL clients beamed with pride at the discovery of their talents.
“I’m looking forward to accurately and positively presenting what we’ve been studying all these months,” says BSL guest Jane Anna Boyd. “I want to be my best. The music is uplifting and cheerful without being any one religion.”
Harmonious Communities started in 2023 when Chapman-Smith convinced Opera Philadelphia’s then-CEO David Devan of the merits of collaborating with Broad Street Love to build additional community, “one that centers their participants’ creative talents, connects them to the broader cultural community, and deepens their ties to the Broad Street Love space and the city as a whole,” she said.
“I’m forever grateful Larry was willing to meet for coffee to hear my idea. His advocacy and support were instrumental in bringing this program to life… I told Larry I would consider it a success, participation-wise, if we got 10 members of BSL’s community to join. Well, we far exceeded that number with over 30 people regularly attending rehearsals.”
Downey gives Chapman-Smith her flowers, stating how important it is for Broad Street Love to go beyond providing social services.
“We aim to celebrate the whole person and the unique creative talents each guest shares,” states Downey. “Harmonious Communities has simply allowed for the existing community to share an experience together through song, to facilitate new relationships between many “familiar strangers” and forge new bonds between BLS guests born from joy instead of trauma. Most importantly, it’s helped to remind us all that each individual carries value inherently.”
One thing instantly recognizable from the start of rehearsal is how enthusiastically self-assured BSL’s singers were when the session ended. One longtime BSL guest in particular, Henry Bennett, bounced on his heels as he spoke, smiling and posing.
“When they said they would give us singing lessons, I was enthralled because I always wanted to sing opera,” says Bennett. “I always sing in the shower. And their vocal exercises make me feel as if I could really sing out. We sound really good. And I love that ‘Piano Man’ song. Being able to sing that makes me want to write something of my own.”
“These rehearsals became more than just preparation for a performance—they became a space where individuals express themselves freely, build confidence,” adds Chapman-Smith. “You can see, they feel valued as part of a collective effort, demonstrating the impact of art in fostering connection, resilience, and joy within a community.”
Mariah Williams, a woman who has long-held musical training as a vocalist and pianist, said “Broad Street Love helped save my life. The first night I was officially homeless, I was sleeping on a grate when a BSL staff member went through their clothing storage and found me this huge coat that was pretty much a blanket.”
When BSL’s choir started, Williams was immediately onboard, despite living under serious issues as homelessness and Lyme disease.
“The communal idea is what interested me. We’re a community, even when – under such duress – we have short fuses. The first few rehearsals, especially, we snapped at other. By the third rehearsal onward, we were one, the music soothed us. We could let our negative emotions out in a positive, constructive way… I’m even doing a piano solo that I’ll arrange myself. From these rehearsals where we go through the machinations of breathing, dynamics and articulation, to what I have gleaned from this is all reconnecting me to my earliest levels of self-expression, and patterns of making music.”
Jane Anna Boyd took Bible study classes at Broad Street Love and sang in church before BSL Opera Philadelphia rehearsals commenced. “I enjoy the camaraderie, how Opera Philly organizes all this, and how everyone sings in an orderly fashion,” she says.
Opera Philadelphia’s Chapman-Smith says that hers and Larry Downey’s goal, after Dec. 18, is to ensure that the Harmonious Communities program doesn’t just end with the final performance but continues to thrive and grow.
“We’re currently exploring funding options to continue and expand the program from its current Fall-only schedule to a 9-10-month program that provides consistent engagement throughout the year, allow participants to build on the progress they’ve made, and community they have created,” said Chapman-Smith. “By continuing to foster this creative space, we can keep the Harmonious Communities thriving and ensure that the transformative power of music remains a source of joy, connection, and resilience for everyone involved.”
Season of Love: Harmonious Communities Winter Concert will take place at Broad Street Love, 315 S. Broad St., on Wednesday, Dec. 18, at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are free. For more information, visit operaphila.org
