A Jubilee 30th Anniversary Homecoming
Westminster Jubilee Singers
Vinroy D. Brown, Jr. ‘15, conductor
Chaequan C. Anderson ‘15, guest conductor
Courtney Carey, guest conductor
Taione K. Martinez, guest conductor
Akiko Hosaki, piano
Samar Newsome ‘02, piano
Raushaun Thompson, keyboards
Michael Price, saxophone
Glenford Brown, Jr., bass guitar
Daniel Ware, drums
Lucas Heredia, graduate assistant
Daniel J. Piver, graduate assistant
Westminster Jubilee Singers Alumni Choir
J. Donald Dumpson, conductor
Brandon Waddles ‘16, conductor
Sunday, April 26 at 7:30 p.m.
Gill Memorial Chapel
Rider University 2083 Lawrenceville Road
Lawrenceville, N.J.
Please note the unauthorized use of any recording device, either audio or video is prohibited by law. Out of courtesy to the performers and everyone in the audience, please refrain from using cell phones and electronic devices.
Program
Lift Every Voice and Sing J. Rosamond Johnson (1873-1954)
arr. Roland M. Carter (b. 1942)
Great Day arr. Moses Hogan (1957-2003)
Silky M. Carter ‘12, soprano
Wake Up, My Spirit Adolphus Hailstork (b. 1941)
Hehlelooyuh (A Joyful Expression) James Furman (1937-1989)
Chaequan C. Anderson ‘15, conductor
Clap Praise Diane White-Clayton (b. 1964)
Allyssa Jurgens ‘22, mezzo-soprano Lucas Heredia, speaker
I Ain’t Got Weary Yet arr. Courtney Carey (b. 1980)
Vinroy D. Brown, Jr., baritone
Courtney Carey, conductor
In Bright Mansions Above arr. Roland M. Carter
Taione K. Martinez, conductor
In Dat Great Giddin’ Up Mo’nin arr. Rosephanye Powell ‘87 (b. 1962) ~ intermission ~
Selections to be announced
Westminster Jubilee Singers Alumni Choir J. Donald Dumpson, conductor
Brandon Waddles ‘16, conductor
Total Praise Richard Smallwood (1948-2025)
Westminster Alma Matter J. Donald Dumpson
Program Notes, Text & Translations
Lift Every Voice and Sing J. Rosamond Johnson arr. Roland M. Carter
On February 12, 1900, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” was first performed by 500 school children in Jacksonville, Florida to celebrate the birthday of Abraham Lincoln. James Weldon Johnson wrote the words and his brother, Rosamond, would be enlisted to write the music. The brother would go on to move to New York City but by the 1920s, children and adults were singing their song all over the South as well as in other parts of the country. The piece would soon gain so much notoriety that the NAACP would dub it the “Negro National Anthem”. There are countless versions of the hymn, however, this beautiful arrangement by Roland Carter from 1978 is most often used to present the anthem in formal settings.
Roland Carter, a pioneer when it comes to American Spiritual Choral music, would elevate the meaning of this unifying hymn through his inspiring fanfare piano prelude or through the sorrowful acapella moments of the choir. Each section would be a representation of several different African American experiences that resonate with people of all races. With this arrangement, all can participate in a sense of unity and strength that lives in a diverse community.
Lift every voice and sing, till earth and Heaven ring, Ring with the harmonies of liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise, high as the listening skies, Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us, Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us; Facing the rising sun of our new day begun, Let us march on till victory is won.
Stony the road we trod, bitter the chastening rod, Felt in the days when hope unborn had died; Yet with a steady beat, have not our weary feet
Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?
We have come over a way that with tears has been watered; We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered; Out from the gloomy past, till now we stand at last Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.
God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, Thou Who hast brought us thus far on the way; Thou Who hast by Thy might, led us into the light, Keep us forever in the path, we pray.
Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee.
Lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee. Shadowed beneath Thy hand, may we forever stand, True to our God, true to our native land.
Great Day arr. Moses Hogan Moses Hogan is hailed as one of the most influential composers/arrangers to popularize the concert performance of spirituals. A graduate of the New Orleans
Center for Creative Arts and the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, he published more than seventy arrangements of spirituals. Great Day follows an established construct of a cappella chorus with a soloist. It references the Day of Jubilee from Leviticus – the day when the slave will be made free, and wealth redistributed for all who need it.
Great day! Great day, the righteous marchin’ Great day! God's a gonna build up Zion's wall!
Chariot moved on the mountain top, brother!
My God spoke an’ de chariot did stop, sister!
This is the year of jubilee, brother!
My God set His people free, sister!
Great day! Great day, the righteous marchin’ Great day! God's a gonna build up Zion's wall!
Wake Up, My Spirit
Adolphus Hailstork
Adolphus Hailstork is an American composer and educator. Born in Rochester, New York, he studied composition with several teachers, most notably Nadia Boulanger. His compositional output includes over 100 works spanning a wide spectrum of ensembles and instrumentation. He also had a distinguished career as Professor of Music and Composer-in-Residence at Old Dominion University, from which he is now retired.
Wake Up, My Spirit is a work for mixed chorus and piano. Its text is taken from Psalm 57 and speaks to renewal, joy, and praise. The piece features frequent meter changes, syncopation, shifting tonalities, and a broad range of vocal writing, all hallmarks of Hailstork’s compositional style.
Wake up, my spirit!
I, myself, will waken the dawn.
Exalt Yourself above the heavens, O God, And Your glory over all the earth. I will sing praise to You above the nations, Awake, lute and harp, I will sing melody.
Hehlelooyuh
James Furman
Composed by James Furman in 1978, Hehlehlooyuh, subtitled “A Joyful Expression,” is one of Furman’s most celebrated choral works. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1937, Furman studied composition at the University of Louisville and Brandeis University, later teaching at Western Connecticut State University until his death in 1989. His choral output includes both original works and spiritual arrangements influenced by gospel music, alongside orchestral and vocal compositions.
Hehlehlooyuh combines high energy, a fast tempo, and intricate syncopated rhythms with tonal ambiguity, ascending melodic lines, and repeated chord tones. The opening section introduces the principal motives, with continuous eighth-note motion and harmonic tension created by consonant triads over dissonant bass notes. Each section develops the earlier motives, culminating in a soprano descent and a final section
featuring a unison exclamation in parallel sixths, a tempo change, and a recapitulation of the familiar rhythms and harmonic material at higher pitch.
Blending gospel, jazz, and classical choral techniques, Hehlehlooyuh showcases Furman’s inventive compositional style, rich harmonic language, and rhythmic complexity, cementing his contribution to American choral music.
Clap Praise
Diane White-Clayton
Diane L. White-Clayton is a multi-genre composer, conductor, and performer. A Washington, D.C., native, her earliest musical experiences came from her formative years in the Black church. Currently, Dr. White-Clayton serves on the faculty of the University of California, Los Angeles, as a Lecturer of Ethnomusicology. She is also the Artistic Director of the Albert McNeil Jubilee Singers and Founder and CEO of BYTHAX, which serves as her primary publishing outlet, and the BYTHAX Ensemble, a professional vocal group.
An original composition by Diane L. White-Clayton, Clap Praise is an energetic piece for piano, solo, speaker, and chorus. The text comes from verses of Psalm 47 and features the choir clapping throughout the piece, sometimes all together and in segments. The soloist leads the choir in a call-and-response that is further expanded upon and supported by the piano, which is featured prominently in the piece.
Clap Your hands, O ye people
Shout unto God with the voice of triumph.
For the Lord most high is to be feared, A great King over all the earth. He subdued the peoples under us and nations under our feet.
God has gone up with a shout. The Lord ascends with the sound of a trumpet. God ascends amidst shouts of joy.
Shout unto God with a voice of triumph. Shout unto God with loud songs of joy! Sing praises to our King!
God reigns over the nations, God sits on His holy throne. He is the King of all the earth, Sing praises with a psalm.
Everybody!
Shout unto God with the voice of triumph.
I Ain’t Got Weary Yet arr. Courtney Carey Courtney Carey’s arrangement of the spiritual, I Ain’t Got Weary Yet uses call and response to represent the difficulties of African American citizens suffering from 19thcentury forced labor camps. Carey uses chromatic motion to destabilizes the melody, making a sound similar to wailing to those forced to work. The text references the Israelites’ escape from Egypt to their journey to The Promised Land and them
“wandering. This is a common theme among spirituals, reminding the singer that God has led His children to freedom in the past, and will do so again in His perfect timing.
I ain’t got weary yet, I’ve been in the wilderness a mighty long time, And I ain’t got weary yet.
Oh, I’ve been praying like Silas (Lord!), I’ve been praying like Paul, I’ve been serving my Lord a mighty long time, And I ain’t got weary yet.
Oh I’ve been talking with my Savior, I’ve been talking with my Lord, I’ve been in the wilderness a mighty long time, And I ain’t got weary yet.
I’ve been in the wilderness, I’ve prayed a mighty long time, Walked and talked with Jesus, Won’t he bring you over?
I’ve been in the wilderness a mighty long time, And I ain’t got weary yet!
In Bright Mansions Above arr. Roland M. Carter Roland Carter's gift for capturing the authenticity of the spiritual is shown here in this beautiful arrangement. The text is a reference to the lack of home slaves faced during 18th century slavery due to their indentured servitude. Roland Carter uses harmonies to paint the picture of a home in heaven that opens it doors to all. The ending is especially notable due to the usage of chant lines among text that is typically unappreciated by other spiritual composers.
In bright mansions above Lord, I wan’ t’ live up yonder In bright mansions above
My mother’s gone to glory I wan’ t’ go there too Lord, I wan’ t’ live up yonder In bright mansions above
In my Father's house there are many mansions, If it were not so, I would have told you
In Dat Great Giddin’ Up Mo’nin arr. Rosephanye Powell ‘87
Written by the widely acclaimed alumna of Westminster Choir College, Doctor Rosephanye Dunn Powell, this classic spiritual has donned some new harmonic clothes, and they do sparkle and shine. She begins quietly but with energy. Snatching motifs from the melody, Ms. Powell creates rhythmic ostinato patterns that inject a driving fervor to the arrangement. With a flair for drama and intensity, this piece proves to be worth getting up and singing to.
Fare ye well, In that mornin’,
I got a home up in the kingdom, Fare ye well, I’m gonna lay down this worl’, Gonna shoulder up my cross. Gonna take it home to my Jesus, Fare ye well.
He’s gonna call us up to heaven, Fare ye well, I will hear my Savior callin’, And I’ll hear the trumpet sound, Then He’s gonna call us up to glory, Fare ye well.
In that great gettin’ up mornin’, Fare ye well, Fare ye well.
Total Praise
Richard Smallwood
Composed by the late Richard Smallwood, Total Praise has become one of the most recognized anthems in contemporary sacred choral music. The text is drawn from several passages of scripture and centers on the act of lifting one’s eyes, hands, and voice to God. Since its composition, the piece has been widely embraced by church choirs, collegiate ensembles, and professional groups, often serving as a powerful expression of collective faith and devotion.
Smallwood’s setting begins with a simple, chorale-like opening that gradually expands in texture and intensity. As the piece unfolds, the music rises both melodically and emotionally, before reducing back for the “Amen” which grows as a pedal tone is passed between each of the parts. Repeated eight times, this closing section creates a sense of affirmation and finality, reminiscent of the benedictory style found in another Westminster staple, The Lord Bless You and Keep You by Peter Lutkin. Frequently performed at the conclusion of Jubilee Singers concerts, Total Praise is a classic that leaves both performers and the audience with a profound sense of unity.
Lord, I will lift my eyes to the hills
Knowing my help is coming from You
Your peace, You give me in time of the storm
You are the source of my strength
You are the strength of my life
I lift my hands in total praise to You
Amen
Westminster Alma Matter
J. Donald Dumpson
Written by J. Donald Dumpson, founding conductor of the Westminster Jubilee Singers, Westminster Alma Mater is an anthem and tribute to the shared identity and community of Westminster Choir College. The text is simple and direct, reflecting the
transformative power of this place of choral music on the lives of students, faculty, and audiences.
Frequently performed in the closing set of Jubilee Singers concerts, the piece also serves as a meaningful expression of the ensemble’s roots and mission, celebrating the lasting impact of Westminster Choir College and the deep bonds formed through one of the school’s core values: service through music.
Westminster, alma mater, stands true for all time. You have changed my life. Westminster, we adore you so!
About the Artists
WESTMINSTER JUBILEE SINGERS
Now in its thirtieth year, the Westminster Jubilee Singers is an ensemble modeled after the historically acclaimed Fisk Jubilee Singers. Its repertoire, while highly specialized, is remarkably diverse, showcasing both solo and ensemble artistry from its members. Housed in the Department of Sacred Music at Westminster Choir College, the ensemble performs works that include African-American spirituals and folk songs, classical music by Black diasporic composers, and a wide range of non-idiomatic repertoire. As the anchor of the university-wide Celebration of Black Music, the Jubilee Singers embody a living archive, presenting historically rooted works annually while advancing the ongoing study and performance of this specialized tradition.
Past seasons have featured performances of William Grant Still’s And They Lynched Him on a Tree, Adolphus Hailstork’s Shout for Joy and I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes, Duke Ellington’s Sacred Concerts, R. Nathaniel Dett’s The Ordering of Moses, and José Maurício Nunes Garcia’s Requiem in d. The ensemble has appeared at the Music Educators National Conference (MENC) in Kansas City and its Regional Conference in Baltimore; the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) Eastern Regional Convention in Boston; and New York’s Apollo Theater, in collaboration with Denyce Graves, celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Children’s Defense Fund. Other highlights include a joint concert, Living the Dream, with Penn State University’s Essence of Joy ensemble in tribute to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; the ensemble’s Lincoln Center debut in An Evening of Choral Artistry presented by ACDA; a Carnegie Hall appearance with the New York Pops Orchestra under Skitch Henderson in a concert version of Porgy and Bess; and joint concerts at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center with the Fisk University Jubilee Singers and the legendary Sweet Honey in the Rock.
The 2025–2026 season will include performances in Lawrenceville and Princeton, a special concert celebrating the ensemble’s 30th anniversary, and a presentation of Margaret Bonds’s Credo. Now in his ninth year, Westminster Choir College and Jubilee Singers alumnus Vinroy D. Brown, Jr. serves as the ensemble’s fifth conductor.
WESTMINSTER JUBILEE SINGERS
Vinroy D. Brown, Jr., conductor
Akiko Hosaki, accompanist
Lucas Heredia and Daniel J. Piver, graduate assistant conductor
SOPRANO
Kamanay Belcher, Easton, PA
Elizabeth Berger, Hereford, MD
Olivia Dixon, Woodbury, NJ
Sarah Febonio, Flemington, NJ
Julia N. Gerst, West Milford, NJ
Samantha Murphy, Washington Township, NJ
Genesys Perez-Barrios, Lansdale, PA
Try Y. Quain, Jersey City, NJ
Elena C. Trapasso, West Milford, NJ
Sarah Vawdrey, Teaneck, NJ
TENOR
Andrew Chojnacki, Delran, NJ
Carlo Stephen Ciliberti III, Lumberton, NJ
Daniel J. Piver, East Hampton, NY
ALTO
Chloe A. Davis, Lawrence, NJ
Shanice A. Harrison, Newark, NJ
Alyssa M. Lester, Monroe Township, NJ
Anna Maher, Ipswich MA
Crystal Saar, Bayville, NJ
Shaye Walker, Old Bridge, NJ
BASS
Jeremy Burt, Winfield, NJ
Kevin Catalon, Fords, NJ
Lucas Heredia, East Brunswick, NJ
Malik M. Jardine, Queens, NY
Lloyd P. Silikovitz, Randolph, NJ
WESMINSTER JUBILEE SINGERS ALUMNI CHOIR
Listing as of April 25, 2026
SOPRANO
Emilie Beals
Cherisse Bonefont
Jocelyn Brown
Silky M. Carter
Juli Chiriboga
Olivia Dixon
Colleen Gilgan
Morgan Harris
Hope Krick-Smith
DeVasha Lloyd
Jane Nordell
Vakare Petroliunaite
Abbey Ritter
Missy Schenck
Chelsea Simpkins
Benjamin Torres
Sarah Vawdrey
Julia Wilder
ALTO
Hayley Ashe
Adrianna Barnett
Crystal A. Charles
Hayley Elizabeth Collins
Felicia A. Farley
Allyssa Jurgens
Kim King-Harley
Helen Vassallo Kernizan
Daria Knysh-DiCiccio
Taria Mitchell
Salisha Newsome
Lydia Reifsnyder
Abby Rose
Kristin Schenk
Jenna Sims
Jasmin Villatoro
TENOR
Jordan Allen
Justin Brown
Andre Chojnacki
George Johnson III
Corey Leak
Llundon Lawson
Nathan Lazurus
Daniel Piver
James Rouse
Howard Whitmore
D'Andre D. Wright
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
BASS
Andre Baldasserini
Dev Barnes
Nathan Brewer
William Butron
Diego Dominguez
Lucas Heredia
James Kinzel
Joseph Lodato
Samar Newsome
Senior Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences Jason Vodicka Chair, Department of Performance Studies Margaret Cusack Director of Choir Studies Donald Nally Associate Director of Performance Management Leandra Acosta
Rider University gratefully acknowledges the generous support of: Michael T. '89 and Susana Santaguida '89 Gummel and Kasey & Billy Ziff for their support of our Rider Friend of the Arts patron program.
About Rider University & Westminster Choir College
Located in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, Rider University is a private co-educational, student-centered university that emphasizes purposeful connections between academic study and real-world learning experience. Rider prepares graduates to thrive professionally, to be lifelong independent learners, and to be responsible citizens who embrace diversity, support the common good, and contribute meaningfully to the changing world in which they live and work.
The College of Arts and Sciences is dedicated to educating students for engaged citizenship, career success, and personal growth in a diverse and complex world. The college cultivates intellectual reflection, artistic creativity, and academic maturity by promoting both broad academic inquiry and in-depth disciplinary study, while nurturing effective and ethical applications of transferable critical skills. The College consists of four schools: the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, the School of Communication, Media, and Performing Arts, the School of Science, Technology, and Mathematics, and Westminster Choir College.
Culturally vibrant and historically rich, Westminster Choir College has a legacy of preparing students for thriving careers as well-rounded performers and musical leaders on concert stages, in schools, universities, and churches, and in professional and community organizations worldwide. Renowned for its tradition of choral excellence, the college is home to internationally recognized ensembles, including the Westminster Symphonic Choir, which has performed and recorded with virtually all of the major orchestras and conductors of our time. In addition to its choral legacy, Westminster is known as a center for excellence in musical pedagogy and performance.
Upcoming Performances
ARTBEAST
Friday, May 1, 3 p.m. Rider University
GRADUATE CONDUCTING RECITAL SERIES
Westminster Choir Graduate Conductors: Claire Fritz and Lucas Heredia
Friday, May 1, 7:30 p.m. Gill Chapel
9 TO 5
Friday, May 1, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 2, 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 3, 2 p.m. Yvonne Theater
LINDSEY CHRISTIANSEN ART SONG FESTIVAL
Sunday, May 3, 3 p.m. Gill Chapel
WESTMINSTER CHOIR: THE WESTMINSTER CHOIR LOOKS FORWARD
Thursday, May 14, 7:30 p.m.
Bristol Chapel 101 Walnut Lane, Princeton, NJ 08540
WESTMINSTER CHOIR COLLEGE CHAPEL SERVICE
Friday, May 15, 7 p.m. Princeton University Chapel
