Last modified: Wednesday, April 3, 2002
African American Choral Ensemble to perform
The African American Choral Ensemble, directed by James E. Mumford, will present its annual spring concert on April 13 at 8 p.m. at the Buskirk-Chumley Theatre, 114 E. Kirkwood Avenue in Bloomington.
General admission tickets for the concert are $5 for children under 12, $7 for students and senior citizens, and $10 for adults. Tickets are available at the door or in advance at the African American Arts Institute office, phone 812-855-5427.
The African American Choral Ensemble is one of three ensembles of the Indiana University African American Arts Institute. The rich and varied tradition of African American choral music expresses a broad range of emotions related to the black American experience, and the African American Choral Ensemble is a vehicle for preserving that tradition.
The ensemble's repertoire includes spirituals, folk forms, traditional and contemporary gospel music, and formally composed works of African American composers. Three contemporary gospels drawn from the ensemble's membership -- "Sojourner," "Soul-ACE" and "God's Progress" -- enhance the Choral Ensemble's programs.
Selections on the April 13 program will cover the full range of the ensemble's repertoire. The program will include songs that reflect the theme, "Peace, Prayer and Praise," opening with "Lord We Give Thanks to Thee" by the renowned composer Undine Smith Moore, a former teacher and mentor of Mumford, the ensemble's director. Nathaniel Dett, Noah Ryder, Kirk Franklin, Yolanda Adams and Bloomington composer Malcolm Dalglish are just a few of the artists and composers whose works will contribute to this rich and diverse program of choral music.
For more information or to schedule interviews, contact Marshella Griffin at 812-855-5427 or maragrif@indiana.edu.
