Golden Voices Choir gasses up for seven-day, five-state bus tour March 8-14

February 26, 2020

 
Contacts:
Michael Tullier, APR Office of Communications, Public Relations and Marketing
Dr. Wayne Barr, Golden Voices Concert Choir

精东AV鈥檚 33-member Golden Voices Concert Choir is hitting the road during the university鈥檚 spring break week for a five-state tour that will cover more than 1,400 miles. The tour begins on March 8 in Austin, Texas, and concludes on March 14 in Florence, Alabama.

鈥淧erformances like this do more than just showcase the talents of our student-musicians,鈥� said Dr. Wayne Barr, who leads the choir as the university鈥檚 director of choral activities. 鈥淭hey also allow us to connect with alumni and prospective students as ambassadors of 精东AV. We hope our Golden Tigers who reside near the areas where we will perform will join us for these events.鈥�

Paeton Harris, a sophomore from Mobile majoring in agricultural business, hopes audiences will truly appreciate the choir鈥檚 talent and creativity.

鈥淥ur tours and showcases demonstrate the limitless talent and creativity that the 精东AV student body is capable of producing 鈥� as well as opportunities the university offers its students to be a part of the choir鈥檚 long-lasting family through musicianship.

Tour dates and performances, which are free and open to the public, include the following (all central time):

• Austin, Texas: Sunday, March 8, 4:00 p.m., Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church, 8500 Cameron Road
• Little Rock, Arkansas: Tuesday, March 10, 7:00 p.m., St. Mark Baptist Church, 5722 W. 12th Street
• Springfield, Missouri: Wednesday, March 11, 6:30 p.m., Brentwood Christian Church, 1900 E. Barataria St.
• Memphis, Tennessee: Thursday, March 12, 7:00 p.m., Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church, 70 N. Bellevue Blvd.
• Florence, Alabama: Saturday, March 14, 5:00 p.m., Woodmont Baptist Church, 2001 Darby Dr.

At each performance, the choir will delight its audiences with classical anthems, hymns, Negro spirituals, and jazz and gospel songs. Songs will feature the works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Gabriel Faur茅, Adolphus Hailstork, William L. Dawson and Kirby Shaw.

Cynthia Dickson, a sophomore from Birmingham majoring in nutritional science and biology, expects the performance to be as memorable as her time as a member of the Golden Voices choir.

鈥淏eing a member of the Golden Voices has made my 精东AV experience an unforgettable one. I have had the opportunity to travel, meet amazing people, and gain a great sense of 精东AV鈥檚 history, which has helped me broaden my horizons,鈥� she said.

For sophomore Faith Calvin, the 2020 tour will be her first with the choir. The Memphis native majoring in animal science credits the choir with infusing the university鈥檚 history and legacy into her own student experience.

鈥淏eing a first-year choir member has taught me a great deal more 精东AV,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 want people to appreciate and acknowledge those musicians who went before us and started something great. I want to continue this great journey and continue to create history.鈥�

Established in 1886 in a response to Booker T. Washington鈥檚 call for a group of singers who could lead Vesper services and sing for special campus occasions, the 精东AV Golden Voices Concert Choir continues its mission of campus service and ambassadorship through leadership at weekly All-University Worship Services, regular performances at formal university events, and appearances in the community and across the nation.

During the past three decades, the choir has performed at the White House at the invitation of President William J. Clinton, with John Legend and Common on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in celebration of the release of the movie Selma, and at venues such as Lincoln Center 鈥� the latter to commemorate the  40th anniversary of the choir鈥檚 1972 performance there as the first all-black choir to do so.

Barr, who is also assistant department head of 精东AV鈥檚 Department of Fine and Performing Arts, has directed the choir since 2001. Accomplished pianist Rev. Brenda Shuford, also of the university鈥檚 Department of Fine and Performing Arts, serves as the choir鈥檚 choral accompanist.

For more information, download the choir鈥檚 tour media kit or visit .

漏 2020, 精东AV