NCOJ opens classical season with 'Songs of Faith & Freedom'

The National Chorale of Jamaica will open its classical concert season with Songs of Faith & Freedom, a programme devoted to the Negro spiritual, at the University Chapel at The University of the West Indies, Mona, on Sunday, November 1, beginning at 6 p.m.

The 54-year-old chorale said the concert is a celebration of the spiritual and its messages of faith, hope, resilience and liberation. The genre emerged within enslaved African-American communities, drawing on African musical traditions and Christian biblical imagery, and the programme will trace its history and cultural significance.

The concert marks a milestone for the chorale: Michael Sutherland, a bass-baritone, will take the baton for his first full concert since being appointed musical director earlier this year. He succeeds immediate past musical director Winston A.G. Ewart. The concert continues under the patronage of Sir Kenneth Hall and Lady Rheima Hall.

Sutherland said he was particularly excited about the theme and the chance to explore the historical and emotional depth of the repertoire. "These songs were born out of tremendous hardship, but they also speak profoundly to faith, courage, resistance and an unshakeable belief in freedom," he said. "That emotional journey is what we want our audience to experience through the music."

He said rehearsals are in high gear and that the chorale has been delving into both the musical and historical dimensions of the works. "The intensity of the production can already be felt in rehearsals," he said. "The compositions take us into the experiences of enslaved people, their sorrow and suffering, but equally their determination, spirituality, hope and yearning for freedom. These are songs that continue to stir the emotions centuries later."

The programme includes Give Me That Old Time Religion, composed by Moses Hogan; Lord I Want to Be a Christian, composed by Eban Hutton; and Amen, composed by Jester Hairston. The chorale said the selections showcase the rich harmonies, rhythmic vitality and expressive power for which the genre is known.

Beyond their religious expression, many spirituals carried themes of deliverance and freedom. Scholars have long examined whether some also conveyed coded messages relating to escape. Steal Away, attributed to Wallace Willis, has often been interpreted in that context, while Go Down, Moses became closely associated with liberation and the Underground Railroad, particularly through accounts surrounding abolitionist and freedom-fighter Harriet Tubman.

Christopher Samuda, chairman of the National Chorale of Jamaica, said the concert demonstrates the chorale's commitment to preserving important musical traditions while exploring the global history and cultural significance of the music it performs. "Songs of Faith & Freedom celebrates resilience in the face of oppression and the empowerment of the human spirit through music," he said. "It is a repertoire that reminds us that even in the darkest circumstances, the human voice can become a powerful instrument of faith, hope and freedom."

The concert also continues the chorale's educational mission of introducing younger generations to significant choral and classical traditions. Select high-school students have been invited to attend and experience the repertoire in live performance.

The National Chorale of Jamaica has maintained a distinguished place in Jamaica's cultural landscape, presenting choral works spanning classical, sacred, folk and contemporary traditions while helping to preserve and broaden appreciation for excellence in choral music.