FOR MORE THAN FIVE CHECK
AIDS, THE CHORAL GROUP HAS
BROUGHT BEAUTIFUL MUSIC TO OUR
COMMUNITY.
IT IS THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
BLACK CHORUS, AND JERRY,
BRIANNA, AND GRACE ARE HERE WITH
CAME TO BE.
DOES ANYBODY WANT TO TACKLE THAT
ONE.
THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
BLACK CHORUS STARTED BACK IN
1968 BY FOUR AFRICAN AMERICAN
STUDENTS WITHIN THE THE
UNIVERSITY THAT WANTED TO SING A
LOT OF THE MUSIC THAT THEY HAD
SANG BACK HOME AT THEIR CHURCHES
AND FROM THERE IT HAS BUILT UP
TO PRETTY MUCH A MAIN STAY ON
THIS CAMPUS, AND IT'S TO TODAY,
ABOUT YOUR MISSION BEHIND THE
GROUP.
I KNOW THAT HE STARTED, AND THEY
HAVE A SPECIFIC MISSION THOUGH.
THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
BLACK CHORUS, IS DEDICATED TO
THE STUDY OF BLACK SACRED MUSIC,
DEDICATED TO THE MUSIC, AND THE
MESSAGE AND WHAT IT CONVEYS FOR
THE COMMUNITY, AS IT SPEAKS TO
YOUR HEART AS WELL AS AN
INDIVIDUAL.
SO I FEEL LIKE I HAVE TO ASK
THIS.
YOU AREN'T BLACK.
SO IS THIS GROUP OPEN TO ANYONE
AND EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO SING
AND PARTICIPATE IN THE CHORUS.
YES, THE BLACK CHORUS IS TO
ALL DIFFERENT RACES, AND PEOPLE
FROM MANY DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS.
I LOVE BEING IN IT, IT'S BEEN
SUCH A JOY TO BE PART OF YOU
HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN YOUR
GROUP?
BLACK CHORUS IS USUALLY FROM
80 TO 92 AT THE MOST, AND WE ARE
VERY BIG, THE LARGEST CHOIR ON
THROUGH THE YEARS, IF PEOPLE ARE
INTERESTED, THEY COME, WE
CONTACT THEM.
WE SEND THEM A LINK, AND THIS
THEY REGISTER ONLINE OR THROUGH
PAPERWORK, WE INVITE EVERYBODY
IN THE COMMUNITY TO COME THAT
GETS THE INVITE LINK, AND THEY
PER FORM WITH US, AND WE SPEND
FOUR DAY REHEARSING THIS MUSIC,
WE HAVE GRAMMY NOMINATED
CLINICIANS, THAT COME IN, AND
WORK WITH US, AND PLAY THE
SONGS, AND WE HAVE A CONCERT
WHERE WE WILL SING WITH OUR
COMMUNITY ON STAGE SINGING THE
MUSIC OF BLACK AMERICANS.
IT IS GOING TO BE A GREAT
WEEKEND FOR PEOPLE TO COME AND
EXPERIENCE THE CHORUS THERE AT
THE U OF I TELL ME WHAT YOU TAKE
AWAY FROM BEING IN THIS GROUP,
WHAT YOU ENJOY THE MOST.
THE MAIN THING IS COMMUNITY
BUILDING, AND BECAUSE WITH OUR
FEAR LESS LEADER, DR. OLLIE
WATTS DAVIS.
SHE AID SAID THAT PRETTY MUCH A
LOT OF PEOPLE WHEN THEY GET
TOGETHER, AND THEY HAVE A SHARED
GOAL, THAT REALLY BUILDS
COMMUNITY WITH EACH OTHER, AND
WHAT BETTER WAY TO DO THAT THAN
BY SINGING.
DEFINITELY PEOPLE ARE TOUCHED
I HOPE THAT PEOPLE TAKE AWAY
A TRUE SENSE OF PEACE AND JOY
FROM OUR MUSIC.
THAT'S WHAT IT IS GIVING ME AS
DR. DAVIS ALWAYS TEST US, IT'S
FUNCTION ALAN SERVES US, EVEN IF
THE MUSIC WAS COMPOSED MANY
YEARS AGO, AND NOW IT'S STILL
RELEVANT TO ISSUES THAT WE ARE
FACING HERE TODAY.
AND I HOPE THAT PEOPLE CAN BE
ENCOURAGED, AND UPWILL LIFTED BY
THE WOULD, THAT WE DO.
GIVE US A SNEAK PEEK.
WE WILL BE PER FORMING A
SPIRITUAL, I OPEN MY NAMEVOICE TO
THE LORD.
AND COMING UP A LITTLE BIT