This Friday, March 20, the Davidson College Choirs will join the internationally recognized American Spiritual Ensemble in a powerful concert of African American spirituals at Davidson College Presbyterian Church. We caught up with Davidson College Director of Choral Activities Renata Berlin ahead of what promises to be an extraordinarily impactful experience for students and attendees alike.
Learn more about this concert and reserve tickets. The event is free for students, but tickets are required. Reduced ticket prices are available for seniors and Davidson College faculty and staff members.
How did the American Spiritual Ensemble come to perform with the Davidson College Choirs?
This residency is part of the Davidson College Choir InChoir Series, which brings extraordinary artists to campus so our singers and community can experience their artistry not only from the audience, but alongside them in rehearsal and shared music-making. This year’s visit by the American Spiritual Ensemble, led by Everett McCorvey, comes during a season in which our choirs are exploring American repertoire in anticipation of the nation’s 250th anniversary. Their presence also coincides with the unveiling of the With These Hands Memorial, which recognizes the enslaved people whose labor built the college. Spirituals grew from the same historical realities, so experiencing this music together invites reflection on that history while honoring a tradition of resilience and faith.
For students, performing with a group of this caliber is such an unforgettable experience. What impacts do opportunities like this one have on your singers and their education?
Opportunities like this reshape how students understand both artistry and responsibility as musicians. Through this two-part residency, our students learned how spirituals were born, why they continue to matter today, and how to approach them with care and responsibility. They also experienced the extraordinary emotional range of this repertoire. Some spirituals pulse with rhythmic vitality and hope, while others carry deep sorrow. Few musical traditions invite singers and audiences to feel so profoundly across that entire spectrum.
The American Spiritual Ensemble’s mission is ”to preserve and continue the tradition of storytelling through the performance and preservation of the American Negro Spiritual.” Why is it important for choral musicians and audiences to experience these works?
Part of the important work that American Spiritual Ensemble does is helping audiences understand spirituals on their own terms, distinct from later gospel traditions, and presenting them in a concert format that honors their history and musical depth. For choral musicians, engaging this repertoire requires both musical excellence and historical awareness. And as Dr. [Everett] McCorvey reminded us, this is American music. It belongs to the story of this country, and when it is approached with knowledge, care, and respect, it is a tradition that singers and audiences alike can celebrate and help carry forward.
What program highlights can attendees look forward to?
Audiences will hear a wonderful range of spirituals, from long-standing arrangements to more contemporary settings that show just how vibrant this tradition continues to be. Our students in Davidson College Chorale have the joy of opening the program with the fiery double-choir arrangement of Ezekiel by Stacey V. Gibbs, and I could not be prouder of the way they have prepared it. Later in the program, the Davidson College Choirs will also join the extraordinary singers of the American Spiritual Ensemble for several selections. Dr. Everett McCorvey has a wonderful way of guiding audiences through this music, so I suspect the evening will feel less like a traditional concert and more like an experience that draws everyone more deeply into the story and power of the spiritual.
The Davidson community is special in so many ways, not the least of which is the incredible enthusiasm for the arts we see here! It’s always a “pinch me” moment when we can experience world-class groups like this without so much as a trip down I-77. Is there anything else you’d like to impart to folks who are thinking of coming?
Whether this is your first time joining us or you have been to many Davidson concerts, we warmly welcome you. One of the joys of this series is sharing world-class artists close to home, and we would love for our neighbors from Charlotte and Lake Norman to feel invited too. So much of our work happens behind rehearsal doors, and concerts are when the work becomes shared and we get to connect with you. Please spread the word and bring family, children, and friends. If you come, stay afterward to say hello and tell us what moved you.
Renata Dworak Berlin is Assistant Professor of the Practice in Music and Director of Choral Activities at Davidson College, where she leads the Davidson Chorale, Chamber Singers, and Choral Arts Society Davidson and directs major collaborative performances and choral initiatives on campus and in the community.