ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú

G. Preston Wilson Jr., musical director

Featuring ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University Men’s Glee Club, Chamber Singers, Choraliers
Jeremy D. Jones, Reina Dickey, Robyn Lana, conductors

Friday, Sept. 20, 7:30 p.m., Hall Auditorium

Tickets: $15 Adults, $14 Seniors, $10 Students/Youth

Cromer/Flory Artists-in-Residence

Join us for an evening of strength, power, and universal solace with the Grammy Award-winning Jubilee Singers of Fisk University, performing spirituals sung by slaves prior to the Civil War. 

The concert will also feature the ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú Men’s Glee Club, Chamber Singers, and Choraliers. Scheduled in collaboration with the Reimagining the Academy Conference, the concert will be the culmination of the Jubilee Singers’ residency with the ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú choirs and regional community.

The original Fisk Jubilee Singers introduced ‘slave songs’ to the world in 1871 at Oberlin College, one of the first public performances of the secret songs. Throughout the late 19th century, they broke racial barriers in the US and entertained Kings and Queens in Europe. Recipients of the National Medal of Arts, and many other prestigious awards, their history was portrayed in the PBS documentary “Jubilee Singers: Sacrifice and Glory”. 

The ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú choral program proudly features three distinctive ensembles with a combined membership of approximately 200 singers. In addition to local concerts, ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú choirs frequently participate in regional, national, and international tours, performing in renowned venues such as Carnegie Hall, Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow, Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, and St. Mark's Basilica in Venice. Highlights of the 2023-24 season included an invited performance at the Ohio Music Education Association Conference by the Choraliers, a concert at Cincinnati's historic Music Hall, and a 10-day tour of Italy with performances in Venice, Assisi, Lucca, and Rome.

Our choirs have collaborated with world-renowned professional ensembles, including the American Spiritual Ensemble, the Canadian Brass, and Cantus. Recent guest conductors include Simon Carrington, Mack Wilberg, Rollo Dilworth, and Anthony Trecek-King. Additionally, our choirs have had the privilege of working with legendary conductors such as Margaret Hillis, Paul Salamunovich, Sir David Willcocks, and composer Morten Lauridsen.