Audiences will be treated to a special music performance by the internationally-acclaimed Fisk Jubilee Singers during the keynote of the 2015 Tennessee Civil War Sesquicentennial Signature Event 7 p.m. ET April 30 at The Bijou Theatre.
The Fisk Jubilee Singers are vocal artists and students from Fisk University in Nashville who perform a wide range of music, including a cappella Negro spirituals originally sung by slaves prior to the Civil War. Dating back to 1871, the original Jubilee Singers traveled overseas to raise money for the university’s future. They are recognized for preserving Negro spirituals as an American musical tradition. Breaking racial and music barriers, the group has performed worldwide, entertaining 19th century kings and queens.
The group was awarded the 2008 National Medal of Arts, the highest honor for artists and art patrons in the U.S., by former president George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush. They were invited by the U.S. Embassy in 2007 to Ghana for its 50th national independence anniversary celebration. Since then, the Fisk Jubilee Singers continue to travel the world, sharing the history and rich culture of this American music ritual.
Visitors to Nashville can see their plaque along the Music City Walk of Fame. They were among the first group of honorees in 2006 which also included Ronnie Milsap, Reba McEntire, Roy Orbison, Boudleaux and Felice Bryant, and Maestro Kenneth D. Schermerhorn.
The 2015 Tennessee Civil War Sesquicentennial Signature Event is jointly sponsored by the Tennessee Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission, Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area, Tennessee Historical Society, Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, Knox County Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission, East Tennessee Historical Society and Visit Knoxville.
# # #
Seats are still available to register for the Tennessee Civil War Sesquicentennial Signature Event, call 615-532-7520 or email patricia.gray@tn.gov.
To learn more about Tennessee’s Civil War story, download a complimentary app at www.tncivilwar150.com, email tn.civilwar150@tn.gov, or call 615-532-7520.