The Jubilee Choir of Westminster Choir College is a student-populated, institutionally run choir of Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ. Its repertoire focuses on the African American tradition, especially spirituals and other religious works. The choir’s most recent performance, a joint effort with a student-run choir within the same College, was titled He Still Watches Over Us, evidence of its religious focus and wholesome message.
First caption: The Jubilee Choir performs its His Light Still Shines
The Jubilee Choir has had a change of leadership over the last few years. Since the shift, the choir has seen a considerable decline in membership. Indeed, its entire tenor section is, at this time, comprised by a single, indefatigable tenor. The reasons for this decline are in dispute. However, it is clear that scheduling is at least partially at fault for the reduced student participation.
Their rehearsal time changes each semester. Their rehearsal times conflict with core classes belonging to several majors within Westminster on a regular basis. Beyond this conflict of class time, there is a dearth of time in general; according to my own impressions from talking to Westminster students, the other demands of the school ensure that very few have the time necessary to devote to the Jubilee Choir.
The Jubilee Choir is aimed at bringing out African American vocal literature in the Christian tradition. Indeed, I see audience members mesmerized entirely by the Christian energies of the Jubilee concerts, their bodies swaying and their arms extended in supplication as entranced thralls of Jesus Christ. That’s love, baby. The performances possess a quality that I can only describe as inspiration. This choir’s songs and chorales and other pieces have got the spark of life that inspires thought and love from all those blessed enough to be sensitive to it. It is readily apparent to me that they, the singers, love what they do; they pour their hearts and souls into the Jubilee Choir, as much as they can, and it shows.
The choir does not get much time to practice. It performs a large quantity of works, and get its word out as loud and proud as it can. The product lacks the shining perfection typically seen from a Westminster Choir College performance. But amazingly, whatever imperfections persist from rehearsal into performance do not mitigate the magnitude of the Choir’s power and effectiveness; indeed, that the Jubilee Choir stands undaunted and presents itself honestly, as-is, makes it a cynosure of what a choir can be. There is no pretense. Humanity is what it is. There is no need to eliminate the individual, for when there is love of music of this purity, all the wholes synergize to agglomerate into a superior magic. The whole is more than the sum of its parts, a true rarity.
Second caption: This is the photo associated with the Jubilee Choir on the official Westminster Choir College website, http://www.rider.edu/wcc/academics/choirs/westminster-jubilee-singers. The acuminous reader will observe that this photo is not of the Jubilee Choir.
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