By Judaea Ingram
Special To The Carolinian
Twenty-five students from Johnson C. Smith University are preparing to take their voices from Charlotte to one of the country's most recognized concert venues, as the university's choir gets ready for its Carnegie Hall debut later this month.
The students are scheduled to perform Nov. 28 at Carnegie Hall in New York City as part of “Sounds of the Season,” a concert presented by Distinguished Concerts International New York. The university's choir, under the direction of Dr. Angelica Brooks, will present a program titled “A Gospel of Gratitude,” featuring gospel and contemporary music.
For the students, the performance represents an opportunity to showcase their musical abilities while bringing the sounds and cultural traditions of a historically Black university to a broader audience.
Brooks told WFAE that the performance is intended to challenge how audiences view music rooted in Black culture. Rather than having gospel music viewed only as entertainment, she hopes the Carnegie Hall appearance will demonstrate its artistic significance and the messages it carries about Black identity and history.
“Bringing it to Carnegie Hall takes it out of the sphere or perspective of it being fun music to now being, no, this music is high art,” Brooks told WFAE. “And that is the goal: to bring music from our culture that has these messages about who we are as Black people.”
The choir's program will also explore the relationship between Afrofuturism and Christianity in the Black church. Student Tanasia Kirby discussed the themes in an interview with WCCB Charlotte, explaining how the music connects artistic expression with Black identity and cultural memory.
“What we're focusing on is Afrofuturism and Christianity in the Black church,” Kirby told WCCB. “And so I feel like that's so important because it helps us remember who we are as people, and especially as African-American people, as well.”
The combination of gospel music, contemporary sounds and cultural themes gives the students an opportunity to present a program that reflects both their musical training and the traditions of the communities they represent.
For choir member Lamar Chance, the Carnegie Hall performance carries significance beyond the music itself. Chance told WFAE that the opportunity allows students to demonstrate the continued presence and contributions of historically Black colleges and universities.
“We are here, we will be here, we will continue to be here,” Chance told WFAE. He said the performance would allow students to show audiences in New York what Johnson C. Smith represents and potentially open opportunities to perform in other places beyond North Carolina.
The trip will also provide students with opportunities to experience New York outside the concert hall. Brooks told WFAE that the group plans to tour the city and attend a musical during the visit. For some students, the trip will be their first time in New York.
Brooks described the experience as potentially life-changing, giving students the opportunity to envision themselves pursuing even greater opportunities in the future. Performing at Carnegie Hall, she said, could help students recognize possibilities for themselves beyond the university.
The performance also reflects the continued development of Johnson C. Smith's choral program. Under Brooks' direction, the university's program has expanded its ensembles and musical opportunities. The choral program includes the University Choir, Golden Voices Gospel Choir and Smith Singers.
