Chicago Children’s Choir (CCC), a nonprofit organization that inspires and unites youth from diverse backgrounds to become global ambassadors through music, presents a free virtual Black History Month concert, Preserving and Persevering, on Thursday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. CST.
Preserving and Persevering explores how the power of Black music has been the cultural key in both preserving African traditions in America and in helping millions persevere in the face of racial injustice. Featuring a special collaboration with GRAMMY-winning artists Ms. Lisa Fischer and Ranky Tanky, the concert is curated by CCC’s Director of African Diasporic Music and Studies, Lonnie Norwood, and includes performances from CCC’s Voice of Chicago, Dimension, Neighborhood Choir and In-School Program singers along with acclaimed alumni vocalists.
Founded in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood in direct response to the Civil Rights Movement in 1956, Chicago Children’s Choir has grown from one choir into a vast network of in-school and after-school programs, impacting the lives of more than 50,000 diverse youth throughout its 64-year history.
Preserving and Persevering will be livestreamed on Thursday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. CST on CCC’s Facebook and YouTube channels. For more information, visit ccchoir.org.
The program for Preserving and Persevering includes a world premiere of a collaboration with powerhouse GRAMMY-winning vocalist Ms. Lisa Fischer on “Right On Be Free.” Fischer was the featured backup singer with The Rolling Stones, Luther Vandross, Tina Turner, Chaka Khan and many others before setting out on her own international concert career. Her story was celebrated in the Oscar Award-winning documentary 20 Feet from Stardom.
The GRAMMY-winning quintet Ranky Tanky, whose original contemporary music celebrates the lasting influence of their Gullah culture, will also perform in the program.
Other concert selections include: Roland Carter’s iconic choral arrangement of “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing”; “We Shall Overcome,” an African American children’s song from the slavery-era musical tradition of pattin’ juba; and a preview of music from Rainbow Beach, a full-length CCC commission about the historic wade-in protests that helped desegregate Chicago’s beaches in the 1960s.
“Chicago Children’s Choir recognizes that one of the most incomparable, underappreciated contributions to American music is the African sound and spirit,” said Lonnie Norwood, curator of CCC’s Black History Month concert. “In this concert, we’re showcasing the power of Black musical traditions in America that have aided us in persevering in the face of racial injustice. We’re also teaching our young singers about these rich musical forms in the weeks leading up to the concert, from gospel to jazz to Gullah ring shout.”
Preserving and Persevering is supported by the Jackson Legacy Foundation and the Vandenberg family.
About Chicago Children’s Choir
Founded in Hyde Park in direct response to the Civil Rights Movement in 1956, Chicago Children’s Choir (CCC) has grown from one choir into a vast network of in-school and after-school programs driven by one mission: to inspire and change lives through music. CCC has impacted the lives of more than 50,000 diverse youth throughout its 64-year history. Since its founding, CCC has focused on building programs that reflect the racial and economic diversity of Chicago. Eighty percent of youth served are from low-moderate income homes, with over 4,000 students annually participating completely free of charge. All singers in CCC programs receive some level of subsidy. High school seniors enrolled in CCC have a 100% graduation rate, becoming global ambassadors who carry on CCC’s core values in a wide array of professional fields.
Under the leadership of President and Artistic Director Josephine Lee, Chicago Children’s Choir has achieved new heights and revolutionized the youth choral arts through innovative creative partnerships and new artistic endeavors. The Choir collaborated with GRAMMY Award-winning music director and producer Peter CottonTale on his original song “Together” for Google’s 2020 Year in Search video, which went viral with more than 230 million views. Other recent projects include the PBS national broadcast of the new staged production of Leonard Bernstein’s MASS under the direction of Marin Alsop in July 2018 and 2019 with two frequent creative partners: the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Ravinia Festival; Lyric Opera’s production of Dead Man Walking and Tchaikovsky’s romantic thriller The Queen of Spades with select Chicago Children’s Choir singers cast as the children’s chorus; the world-premiere hip-hop musical Long Way Home, written and directed by the renowned Q Brothers Collective, which played to five sold-out houses in 2018; and collaboration on Chance the Rapper’s debut studio album The Big Day (2019) as well as a collaboration on his GRAMMY Award-winning Coloring Book (2016) studio recording and tour performances. CCC has served as a model for youth choirs across the country including Boston Children’s Chorus, Denver Children’s Choir and Indianapolis Children’s Choir.
Learn more at ccchoir.org.