Soweto Gospel Choir to Perform at Music Hall

Following a more than 130-year tradition of celebrating its African American history, the Music Hall is thrilled to welcome South Africa’s Soweto Gospel Choir for a special evening on Monday, Feb. 13, at 7 p.m.

Their performance of inspirational tribal, traditional, and popular African and Western gospel will be a unique and unforgettable experience—ending with a special encore sung over sacred African Burying Ground located up the street from the Historic Theater.

“This will be a profound historic night for Portsmouth,” says Executive Director Patricia Lynch. “The Music Hall’s connection with our African American heritage goes way back, from multiple speeches by Frederick Douglas before the Civil War, to a performance in 1916 by opera star Siseretta Jones after she was denied a role at the Metropolitan Opera. The Soweto singers will be joining us for a day in Portsmouth on Monday, Feb. 13 to learn about the town’s African American legacy, and then at 7 p.m. will ignite the Historic Theater with their uplifting, charismatic choral singing. And Portsmouth won’t soon forget their post-performance hymn over sacred burial ground.”

Adds Music Hall historian Zhana Morris: "History is about so much more than bricks and mortar. We are proud to continue our longstanding celebration of African American artists, activists, and writers that began in the 19th century when Frederick Douglas spoke here so passionately about African American destiny."

The evening will begin with a special introductory hymn sung from the balcony by Voices from the Heart, a Portsmouth based women’s chorus specializing in world music. After the two-hour concert, drummer Randy Armstrong will lead the Soweto Gospel Choir on a candlelight procession from the stage door to the Chestnut Street burial ground site, where they will celebrate the work of the African Burial Ground Committee by singing a special encore over sacred ground.

The Grammy-award winning Soweto Gospel Choir was formed in 2002 to celebrate the unique and inspirational power of African Gospel music. Under the direction of Beverly Bryer, the choir draws on the best talent from the many churches in and around Soweto and has quickly risen to become one of the most venerated voices of world music. Their first album, Voices of Heaven, reached the number one spot on Billboard’s World Music Chart within three weeks of its U.S. release.

They went on to win a series of awards and accolades that include two American Gospel Music Awards, an Emmy for their collaboration with U2 on ESPN’s promotional campaign for the 2010 World Cup; and three Grammys—for their second album, Blessed, their third album, African Spirit, and the song Down to Earth, in collaboration with Peter Gabriel for the movie Wall-E. They have shared their “joy of faith through music” to enthusiastic audiences worldwide, in such venues as Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House, the Nelson Mandela Theatre, and Royal Festival Hall in London. Soweto Gospel Choir has also founded its own AIDS orphans foundation, Nkosi’s Haven Vukani, to assist organizations that receive little or no funding, raising more than $60 million U.S.

Submitted by Kathleen Soldati, director of marketing, The Music Hall, Portsmouth