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MARION WILLIAMS
Greatest Gospel Singer at NCCU
"Sanctified singing the sound of Gospel music in the
black churches of America has been the life of Marten
WISlams since she first sang in her mother's church at the
age of three.
Today, Marion Williams is often called "the greatest gospel
singer In the world today." She will appear in concert it
North Carolina Central University's B. N. Duke Auditorium,
Sunday, February 9 at 3 p.m. The program is part of the
NCCU Lyceum Committee's B. N. Duke Series, and admis
sion will be charged.
By her mid-teens, Marion Williams was known throughout
the local church community In her hometown, and in 1947
she joined the celebrated Clara Ward Singers. She starred for
eleven years with that group, contributing floating, soaring
soprano notes to the group's background sounds and growl
ing rugged "Inspired leads. She sang the lead la the Ward
company's biggest hits, "Surely God Is Able" and "Pack
Up."
in 1958, Miss Williams formed her own group, starring and
touring in Langston Hughes' Black Nativity a gospel
musical play.
For the past fifteen years Marion Williams has traveled as a
soloist, moving with ease from the black churches of
American cities to European concert halls.
Jazz aficianados recognize the relationship between their
music and gospel in Marion Williams' an cappella
(unaccompanied) performances. She toys with rhythm in her
presentations cf gospel bhios, toiling her musicians, "Just
keep playin darlin's. 111 catch m with you."
Thaup her repertoire lactones all thtt aewices assoclaisd
wKfi (3?.z. blues, and soul trusta Marion Williams vokcs in
her performances the world oi tse store-u.ii taU8?ftscies-8ftd
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Creative Retiree
February 1 - 7, 1981
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Isador Oglesby. 67. former Durham resident recently
retired after teaching business subjects on the secondary and
collegiate levels, continues to sing.
Prior to his retirement he performed in concert as an avoca
tion. He continues to commute monthly for voice lessons with
Henry Jacobi. international voice specialist, in New York City.
Two albums have been released by the singer in an effort to
create more interest in Negro spirituals as a waning American
folk heritage: Kev.ro Spirituals, Roots of American Folk
Music and The Life of Jesus in Spirituals (with narration
from scriptual text). Both albums are catalogued by the Fine
Arts Division of The Library ol Congress as representative
documents on spirituals: distribution ol the album in now
handled through a record company in Cambridge, England.
The Music Department of Duke University is displaying a
complete biographical display of the artist and his works.
During a recent radio interview. Oglesby was asked "Why
he continues to work with spirituals rather than general art
songs?" His reply: "My people did not sing for themselves,
however long it took, of freedom and justice. They sang the
right ol every man to his exalted portion ol the Tree ol Lite.'
For these reasons, wherever the songs touch the world's peo
ple, someone must sing spirituals again or they will die. " He
concluded by quoting the well-known spiritual "This little
light of mine. I'm goin to let it shine everywhere I go."
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