FISK JUBILEE SINGERS
• •• Nationally famous
At West Charlotte Hkzh _I
Famed Fisk Jubilee Singers To
Perform In Charlotte Friday, March 8
By Loretta Manago
Entertainment Editor
When the Fisk Jubilee Singers
perform Friday, March 8 at 7:30
p m. at West Charlotte Senior
High School, they will bring with
them a past that is rich and full.
The original Jubilee Singers
were formed in 1866, a year after
the Civil War. The American
Missionary Association had
opened a school in Nashville in an
abandoned Union army hospital
barracks and was given the name
Fisk. Its mission was to educate
freed slaveB.
As part of the curriculum, a
music instructor George White
came from New York to join the
staff. Initially, White taught his
students operatic arias, ex
cerpts from patriotic anthems,
temperance songs and popular
duets and quartets. While the
students diligently learned “the
white man's music” White disco
vered that they had a song, all
their own, that was both moving
and touching.
White encouraged his students,
who were former slaves to sing
these songs. But they were reluc
tant. Those songs which con
veyed hardships and messages
like, “Nobody Knows De Trouble
I’ve Seen” and “Go Down
Moses” were songs that they
wanted to forget
Five years after the University
had opened its doors, in 1871
financial trouble began to plague
the institution. Money was not
available for repairs nor to feed
the 400 students enrolled at that
time. A decision had almost been
made to close the institution. But
White had an idea. He proposed
to the missionary association that
he take a group of his students
north to raise money to keep Fisk
open. The board called White’s
idea farfetched. But White
remained undaunted. He selected
nine of his best students, sold
most of his material possessions
and headed North to keep Fisk
alive. '
To say that the singers and
White were well-received is an
overstatement. During those first
concerts crowds would taunt
them, hurl insults at them and
sometimes there wasn’t enough
money to cover traveling ex
panses.
The turning point came for the
Singers in 1871 at a slated per
formance for the National Coun
cil of Congregational Churches.
The singers so moved the audi
ence that it was said that all day
the sky had been cloudy and
dark, but when the singing swept
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through the church, the sky then
, opened and the sun streamed
through the windows. There was
one man in that audience who
would have a dramatic effect on
the group. That man was Henry
Ward Beecher.
Minister of the Plymouth Bap
tist Church and a noted aboli
tionist, Beecher at the conclusion
of that performance asked White
to cancel all of his other engage
ments and come straight to his
church. Although, at that time
White could not accept Beecher’s
offer he did begin to think that
now people were taking his group
seriously, he had better come up
with a name for the group. Before
he was inspired to give them the
name, Jubilee Singers in honor of
the Jewish Jubilee Year, they
were simply called “colored stu
dents from Fisk University.”
Once Beecher started pro
moting the Jubilee Singers, the
fame of the group spread like
wildfire and at the end of their
first year they had paid off $1,500
of debts and took heme another
$500, which was used to purchase
25 acres of land, the present site
of Fisk University. Having only
rested a week after the first tour
the Jubilee Singers were back on
the road. Their acceptance of an
invitation to sing at the Second
World Peace Jubilee in 1872 led to
a tour of England, Holland, Scot
t land, Germany, Sweden and
Russia.
Through the Jubilee Singers,
Fisk University was introduced
to the world as an educational
institution with a great tradition
of musical excellence and cultu
. ral integrity. By 1876, the Jubilee
Singers had raised funds esti
mated at more than $150,000.
Today, the Jubilee Singers are
still an enduring tradition at Fisk
University. They come from all
sections of the country, repre
senting the ardor and dreams of
youth as well as the tranquility
and understanding of maturity.
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r By Loretta Manage #
Pott Staff Writer
Al, Roger and Wilbur, ages 10, 9
and five, respectively would be a
welcomed addition to any family
with lots of love, energy and stability
to give them. Although the foster
homes that they are presently re
siding in have supplied them with
adequate care, what Al, Roger and
Wilbur need most is a home.
Other than those basic needs Al,
Roger and Wilbur are typical young
, stars. They like to play outside
together. And just like brothers,
they fight and argue, but are close
and somewhat protective of each
other.
As the oldest, A1 has the greatest
Deed for the stability that a family
can give him. He has large round,
sad eyes and handsome plump
cheeks and a medium dark comple
xion. Because of the turmoil that
occurretT'eariy in his life, Ai is a
little nervous'afiOanxious and lacks
self-confidence. A second grader, Al
• enjoys school, but has trouble grasp?
ing math. His attitude is good and
although he gets along well with
others in school, he is a bit defen
sive.
Roger has a smile that could
charm hi* way into the heart of the
most hardened person. More extro
verted than his brothers, he loves
and easily trusts adults around him.
Part of his openess stems form the
fact that be wants to be loved.
Inquisitive and curious Roger likes
hugs and physical affection. In
school, Roger is a slow learner, but
he tries hard and wants to do well.
As the youngest, Wilbur is an imp,
pleasant, and easily wins the atten
tion of those around him. An active
five year old, Wilbur seeks out love
and attention by sitting on laps,
hugging and trusting those around
him to care for him. Considered ^
, slightly behind his age group Wil
bur’s only medical problem stems
from a broken arm left untreated
when he was nine months old.
Specialists don’t fed that it should
be corrected unless he has problems
later.
In order to adopt these three
brothers, prospective couples
must have sufficient income to
support another child, room enough*
in their home for another child and
be young enough to see the child
grow up. There wouldn’t neces
sarily be a k»g waiting period
before adoption could take place.
Caseworkers at the Children’s Home
Society will work immediately with
black couples who wish to adopt. For
more information contact the Child
ren’s Home Society at (704) 334-2854
Al, Roger And Wilbur
. .Typical youngsters
or write to: 301S. Brevard St., Suite be the ones to give Al, Roger and
302, Charlotte, NC 28202. Won’t you Wilbur a home?
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