The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square will be joined by the Morehouse College Glee Club and the Spelman College Glee Club for the Choir’s weekly Sunday broadcast of “Music and the Spoken Word” on October 22, 2023.
“It is our pleasure to host the glee clubs from Morehouse College and Spelman College during our weekly performance of ‘Music and the Spoken Word,’” said Choir president Michael O. Leavitt. “These are both distinguished and well-respected choral groups, and we are honored to have them join us.”
The Morehouse College Glee Club is the premier singing organization of Morehouse College.The Morehouse College Glee Club is the premier singing organization of Morehouse College, traveling all over the world and demonstrating excellence not only in choral performance but also in discipline, dedication and brotherhood. The Morehouse College Glee Club has an impressive history and seeks to secure its future through even greater accomplishments. The dedication and commitment of its members and the leadership that its directors have provided throughout the years are part of this musical group’s rich tradition. It is the mission of the Morehouse College Glee Club to maintain a high standard of musical excellence.
The historic Spelman College Glee Club has maintained a reputation for choral excellence since 1924. The club performs selections from world cultures, commissioned works, sacred and secular choral literature, African American spirituals, and music by African American composers, all with a particular focus on harmonies that complement women’s voices. Generations of young women, including those majoring and minoring in music and those focusing on other areas of study, have given their time, talent, and energy to this elite group embedded within the Spelman sisterhood.
The Morehouse College Glee Club is currently under the direction of Dr. David Morrow, and the Spelman College Glee Club is currently under the direction of Dr. Kevin Johnson.
Earlier this year, in April of 2023, Morehouse College, a historically Black college in Georgia, honored President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with the Gandhi-King-Mandela Peace Prize. President Nelson began building bridges with the NAACP in 2018 with a joint call for greater civility and racial harmony in society. The participation of the glee clubs from Morehouse College and Spelman College in The Tabernacle Choir’s weekly broadcast is the next step in this valued relationship.
The Tabernacle Choir’s weekly broadcast of “Music and the Spoken Word” is the world’s longest continuous weekly network broadcast. Since 1929, the broadcast has provided messages of hope and comfort through unifying music each week.
