Jubilee singers honor Af-Am experience with soul jam
BY MARLI GUZZETTA INDEPENDENT ARTS EDITOR
Multicultural, multiracial and interdenominational, the Jubilee Singers share music by African-Americans or about the African-American experience.

They are not a gospel choir, stressed founding director, J. Donald Dumpson. "We sing gospels, spirituals, folk music, jazz and even popular music; anything from the diaspora," Dumpson said. "And this music is lifted by male and female students of all races - Latino, Caucasian, Asian. We have a broad array of students who are uniting to share extraordinary music that has this power to bring people together."

Comprised of students at the Westminster Choir College of Rider University, the choir has performed at Carnegie Hall with the New York Pops Orchestra and also at the historic Apollo Theatre in New York. This week, they are coming to Nantucket through the NCMC/ Nantucket School of Music this TK. The show is part of the NCMC/ Nantucket School of Music's benefit series. (Prior to the concert, attendees will be able to participate in a Chinese Auction, with "many exciting gifts to choose from including an Emerson Tuttle etching," according to TK Grace Noyes.)

The Jubilee Singers are named after a 19th century ensemble that traveled the country and the world from 1870 to 1878, singing to raise tuition for freed slaves to attend Fisk University. The ensemble was the first to perform music sung privately by slaves, including songs like "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" and "Steal Away." The original Jubilee Singers ensemble, which exists to this day at Fisk University, focus primarily on spirituals and are an all-black, co-educational group.

To honor the ensemble's historic namesake, Dumpson encourages the students to "develop a sense of deep connectedness with the experience that the music is borne out of."

"We're not just singing songs or entertaining. We're trying to go from a personal, soulful experience and share it with the audience," he said. "While one may not be African-American, the ability to connect with expression, concern, love and care are the tools of being human."

To this effect, the musicians work "to have sociological and psychological understanding of the literature; we delve deep into the historical stuff in preparation," said Dumpson, who also directs his students to perform community service. "Unlike opera, we are manifesting and bringing alive the true experience of real human beings. We want to be authentic with the history of the music."

Dumpson said the group's Nantucket show will and unbelievable jazz numbers."

"The audience will be moved through many emotions from joyous, to being pushed back in their seat with tears," Dumpson promised.

"The music is that powerful." I

NCMC/ NANTUCKET SCHOOL OF MUSIC BENEFIT

CONCERT: THE WESTMINSTER CHOIR

COLLEGE I

JUBILEE SINGERS

When: Saturday, April 21, 8 p.m.

Where: Mary P. Walker Memorial

Auditorium, Nantucket High School

Cost: $50 (Reserved); $25-35 (General);

$10 (Students); Tickets available at

Dan's Pharmacy, Mitchell's Book Corner

and the NCMC Music Office

For more informatiom, please call 228- 3352