.
By Sandy Kroeker
Collection Overview
Title: University of Illinois Black Chorus Records, ca. 1917-2023
ID: 12/5/88
Primary Creator: Black Chorus (1968-)
Extent: 2.75 cubic feet
Arrangement: Organized in four series: Series 1: Black Sacred Music Symposium, ca. 1991-2019; Series 2: Music, ca. 1917-2011; Series 3: Administrative Records, ca. 1981-2014; Series 4: Black Chorus Performances, ca. 1984-2023. Each series is arranged chronologically.
Date Acquired: 12/15/2023
Subjects: Choirs, Music, Vocal music
Languages: English, German, Italian
Scope and Contents of the Materials
Consists of music, administrative records, programs, posters, awards, and photographs documenting the activities of the Black Chorus at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Biographical Note
Founded in 1968, the Black Chorus is a mixed chorus at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Originally organized by four students and later sponsored by the African-American Cultural program and School of Music Choral Division, the mission of the Black Chorus is to promote African-American musical expression. To fulfill this mission, they maintain an active performance schedule, both on and off campus. They also host the Black Sacred Music Symposium biennially at UIUC, a conference dedicated to the study and performance of Black sacred music traditions.
In addition to performing at various colleges and universities throughout the country, the Black Chorus has performed at the National Black Gospel College Choir Workshop in Atlanta, Georgia; they have performed with the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra and as special guests at an Orchestra Hall concert in Chicago. They perform the music of Black Americans, including Negro spirituals, anthems, formal music, traditional and contemporary gospel, jazz, and rhythm and blues. Dr. Ollie Watts Davis has been the conductor of the Black Chorus since 1981.
Subject/Index Terms
Administrative Information
Repository:
The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music
Acquisition Source:
Ollie Watts Davis
Acquisition Method:
Transfer
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Series:
[
Series 1: Black Sacred Music Symposium, ca. 1991-2019],
[Series 2: Music, ca. 1917-2011],
[
Series 3: Administrative Records, ca. 1981-2014],
[
Series 4: Black Chorus Performances, ca. 1984-2023],
[
All]
- Series 2: Music, ca. 1917-2011
- Consists of music used by Black Chorus members for performances and coursework. Music dates from circa 1917 to 2011.
- Box 1
- Folder 23: 24 Negro Melodies, ca. 1917
- Folder 24: Spirituals, ca. 1921-2001
- Folder 25: Terms of Endowment, McCall, ca. 1927
- Folder 26: German Music, ca. 1928-1995
- Folder 27: "Bless this House" by Helen Taylor & May H. Brahe, ca. 1932
- Folder 28: SATB Music, ca. 1934-2005
- Folder 29: Music Notebook, ca. 1935-1951
- Folder 30: "How Lovely Are Thy Dwellings" by Samuel Liddle, ca. 1936
- Folder 31: Johnson Spirituals, ca. 1940-1991
- Folder 32: Piano & Voice Music, ca. 1944-1994
- Folder 33: "When I am Laid in Earth" by Henry Purcell, ca. 1951
- Folder 34: Choral Octavos, ca. 1953-1997
- Folder 35: Music by Hector Berlioz, ca. 1956
- Folder 36: Scarlatti, Alessandro "Gia il sole dal Gange", ca. 1961
- Folder 37: "Dona Nobis Pacem" by R. Vaughn Williams, ca. 1964
- Folder 38: Christmas Music, ca. 1967-1978
- Folder 39: Art Songs by American Women Composers, Volume 2, ca. 1969-1994
- Folder 40: Schostakowitsch - Performance Copy, ca. 1970
- Folder 41: Mel Bay's "Modern Guitar Method Grade 1", ca. 1972
- Folder 42: Hymns, ca. 1975-1978
- Folder 43: "Lift Every Voice and Sing" arr. Roland M. Carter, ca. 1978
- Folder 44: "Come Ready and See Me" by Richard Hundley, ca. 1981
- Folder 45: "I'm Available to You" by Carlis Moody, Jr., ca. 1988
- Folder 46: Ysaye M. Barnwell "Crossings", ca. 1991
- Folder 47: "The Decision" by V. Michael McKay, ca. 1992
- Folder 48: "Wade in the Water" arr. Mark Hayes, ca. 1994
- Folder 49: Genius Child, Music of Ricky Ian Gordon, ca. 1995
- Folder 50: Black Chorus Reagon Presentation, 1999
- Folder 51: "God's Favor" by Donald Lawrence, ca. 2000
- Folder 52: "The Holy Place" by Ricky Dillard, ca. 2000
- Folder 53: Three African-American Spirituals, arr. John Stafford II, ca. 2001
- Folder 54: "We Give Glory To Your Name" by A. Jeffrey LaValley, ca. 2003
- Folder 55: Stefanie Greene Music Binder, 2011
- Folder 56: "Ballad for Billie" by John Harbison, undated
- Folder 57: Beyone "If I Were A Boy", undated
- Folder 58: CD & Lyrics "For You I Will" by Monica, undated
- Folder 59: Deandre Patterson Music Binder, undated
- Folder 60: "Drink to me Only with Thine Eyes" by Ben Jonson, undated
- Folder 61: Early English Music, undated
- Folder 62: Ernest Chausson "Poeme de l'Amour et de la Mer", undated
- Folder 63: Gene Scheer "Be the Glory", undated
- Folder 64: "He Is Worthy" arr. Stanley A. Spottswood, undated
- Folder 65: "Here I Am" arr. K. Edward Copeland, undated
- Folder 66: "High and Lifted Up" by Joseph Pace II, undated
- Box 2
- Folder 1: "Hold On" arr. M. Richardson, undated
- Folder 2: "Hush, Somebody's Callin' My Name" arr. Brazeal W. Dennard, undated
- Folder 3: Illinois State Song, undated
- Folder 4: "Jesus Paid It All" by John T. Grape, undated
- Folder 5: Johann Sebastian Bach "Jauchzet Gott", undated
- Folder 6: Kenneth Copeland Music Writing Blank Book, undated
- Folder 7: Lyrics & Translations, undated
- Folder 8: Maestro Moderato's Theory Workbooks, undated
- Folder 9: Maurette Brown-Clark "I Hear the Sound", undated
- Folder 10: Music by Georg Friedrich Handel, undated
- Folder 11: Sarah Olsen Music Binder, undated
- Folder 12: Student Music, undated
- Folder 13: Student Music Binder, undated
- Folder 14: Student Music Binder, undated
- Folder 15: Student Music Binder, undated
- Folder 16: "To Be Young, Gifted and Black" by Nina Simone & Weldon J. Irvine, Jr., undated
- Folder 17: "To Our God" by Judith Christie McAllister & Robert Christie, undated
Browse by Series:
[
Series 1: Black Sacred Music Symposium, ca. 1991-2019],
[Series 2: Music, ca. 1917-2011],
[
Series 3: Administrative Records, ca. 1981-2014],
[
Series 4: Black Chorus Performances, ca. 1984-2023],
[
All]
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