LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commending Roberta Laws as she is honored by the
Imani Singers of Medgar Evers College at its Annual Night of Honor on
May 4, 2012

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that individuals who
distinguish themselves in their profession and in service to their faith
and community merit the highest commendation; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and fully in accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commend
Roberta Laws as she is honored by the Imani Singers of Medgar Evers
College, the college's renowned resident choir, at its Annual Night of
Honor to be held at the college on Friday, May 4, 2012; and
WHEREAS, Each year at this Black Tie event, the Imani Singers of
Medgar Evers College honors and pays tribute to outstanding sacred music
church musicians in the Brooklyn community; and
WHEREAS, Roberta Laws, Minister of Music at Mount Lebanon Baptist
Church, truly merits this high honor; and
WHEREAS, Soprano Roberta Laws brings thrilling vocal and artistic
depth to both the opera and concert stage and has graced audiences
worldwide with this winning combination; and
WHEREAS, Roberta Laws' concert career includes Poulenc's Gloria and
Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the Virginia Symphony; concerts with
Peter Nero and the Philadelphia Pops and Maestro Eric Kunzel and the
Cincinnati Pops at Ravinia; and
WHEREAS, She has also appeared with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Naples
and Rochester Philharmonic, and the Detroit, Alabama, Pacific, Savannah,
and Indianapolis Symphonies; and
WHEREAS, Some of Roberta Laws' other engagements include a production
of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carmen Jones with Placido Domingo conduct-
ing the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center for the
Performing Arts, the Helena Symphony, and the Orquesta Sinfonica Nacion-
al de Mexico, Maestro Carlos Miguel Prieto conducting, at the Interna-
tional Cervantino Festival and, in 2011, she was invited to sing at the
renowned Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina with the
CSO Spiritual Ensemble; and
WHEREAS, As a brilliant champion of American opera, Roberta Laws is
well known for her portrayal of the role of Bess in Gershwin's master-
piece, Porgy and Bess; under the baton of Maestro David Stahl, she was
honored to give a command performance for the Prince of Wales with the
Charleston Symphony Orchestra and was subsequently invited to perform
the role at both the Savolina Festival in Finland and the Grahamstown
Festival in South Africa; and
WHEREAS, Her charismatic performances with the Houston Grand Opera
earned her both glowing notices and a nomination for the N.A.A.C.P.
Image Award for Best Actress, as well as an invitation to participate in
the Houston Grand Opera Education Program as a Guest Artist in Resi-
dence; she has also portrayed the role of Bess on the stages of the San
Francisco, Seattle, Dallas, Portland Operas and Opera Carolina, Opera
Grand Rapids, and the Den Norske Opera in Oslo for the King and Queen of
Norway; and
WHEREAS, Revered by international audiences, Roberta Laws has also
sung in the opera houses and theaters of Italy, Germany, Sweden, Spain,
the Netherlands, and South America and, in 1997, she was one of three
Americans to receive an invitation to perform at the gala opening of
Moscow's Novoya Opera House; and
WHEREAS, Currently the Minister of Music at the Mt. Lebanon Baptist
Church, Roberta Laws, always embracing her love and devotion to sacred

music and the church, has performed concerts in churches across the
country throughout her singing career; she has also served as soprano
soloist at Bridge Street A.W. M. E. Church, Ephesus Seventh Day Adven-
tist Church, and the Abyssinian Baptist Church where she is one of the
featured singers on the recording "One Look at Jesus"; and
WHEREAS, Looking forward to an exciting 2012, she has been invited by
the Charleston Symphony Orchestra to return to Charleston, South Caroli-
na for the 2012 renowned Piccolo Spoleto Festival; she performs with the
Grace and Spiritus Chorale of Brooklyn as, for their 30th Anniversary,
they celebrate Brooklyn composers; and she plans to embark on the
recording of her first classical CD with the Prague National Symphony,
as well as a CD of hymns and spirituals dedicated to the memory of her
parents, the late Reverend Dr. and Mrs. Robert A. Laws; and
WHEREAS, Roberta Laws has certainly distinguished herself in her
profession and in service to her faith and community and is worthy of
the recognition and appreciation of this Legislative Body and the citi-
zens of the great State of New York; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend Roberta Laws as she is honored by the Imani Singers of Medgar
Evers College at its Annual Night of Honor on Friday, May 4, 2012; and
be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Roberta Laws.