Soweto Gospel Choir
SOUTH AFRICAN GOSPEL
Thursday, Dec. 1, 7:30 p.m.
Weis Center Concert Hall
Out of the darkness comes a new dawn. In a concert of hope commemorating and remembering the freedom movements in South Africa and the United States, the three-time Grammy-winning Soweto Gospel Choir brings joy and inspiration to us all. An unforgettable night starts with a rousing program of some of the South African freedom songs that inspired their Rainbow Nation, then moves to the United States with beautiful and heartfelt renditions of the music of the civil rights movement featuring works by legendary artists such as Billy Holiday, James Brown, Otis Redding, Curtis Mayfield and the one and only Aretha Franklin.
Hailing from Soweto (South West Township, South Africa), a town outside of Johannesburg and home of Nelson Mandela and South Africa’s democratic movement, Soweto Gospel Choir continues to inspire audiences around the world with their powerful blend of African gospel, freedom songs and international classics.
The Soweto Gospel Choir was formed in 2003 at the end of the apartheid era and during South Africa’s inspiring return to democracy. Taking part in some of the major historical events in the new democratic South Africa, Soweto Gospel Choir are proud to have performed on many occasions for the former President Nelson Mandela and sadly at his state funeral in South Africa and at the subsequent commemorative service at Westminster Abbey in London. They were similarly invited to perform at the funeral service for the late president’s first wife, Winnie Mandela. The choir’s patron is human rights activist and Noble Peace Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and are proud to act as ambassadors for the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
All attendees are asked to bring a canned food item, which will be distributed to local families in need through Union County Children and Youth Services.
The program, “Hope: It’s Been a Long Time Coming” features songs that commemorate the freedom movements in two countries, South Africa and the United States. The choir also will perform selected holiday music.
Pre-Performance Talk
There will be a free-performance talk with a member of the Soweto Gospel Choir, facilitated by Tanisha Williams, the Richard E. and Yvonne Smith Post-Doctoral Fellow in Botany from 6:40-7 p.m. the same night as the performance, in the Weis Center Atrium.
Ticket Information
Adults: $35
Seniors 62+ and subscribers: $28
Youth 18 and under: $25
Bucknell employees and retirees (limit 2): $25
Bucknell students (limit 2): $10
Non-Bucknell students (limit 2): $25
Sponsored, in part, by
- Martha and Alan Barrick