The Spirituals Project at the University of Denver

Been thinking about joining a community choir? Now's your chance! Regular rehearsals on Monday evenings.

We're gearing up for our new season! Looking for Tenors and Basses. There are only a few spots for Sopranos and Altos. Audition dates are Thursday, Sept. 5 and Friday Sept. 6. Contact our director, M. Roger Holland at [email protected] for audition information.

We've got an exciting season ahead. Check out our schedule of performances below!

RIP, Bernice Johnson Reagon!! In 2008 The Spirituals Project had the honor of hosting her as a guest artist. What a memory!

🔊 Listen Now: Remembering Bernice Johnson Reagon of The Freedom Singers and Sweet Honey in the Rock Morning Edition on NPR One | 2:49

We'd like to thank everyone who attended our concert on Saturday. We also thank everyone who attended the Symposium. Please join us again next season as we resume activities after Labor Day.

In addition to our guest speakers, also presenting at the Symposium will be our founder, Dr. Arthur C. Jones, whose presentation is titled, "Spirituals as Contemplative Prayer.

Dr. Arthur Jones is a clinical psychologist, interdisciplinary scholar and avocational singer who received a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Iowa (Iowa City) in 1974. He has served as Interim Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the University of Denver (DU), and Professor Emeritus of Music, Culture and Psychology in DU’s College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. From 2016 to 2019, he was Teaching Professor of Music, Culture and Psychology at the DU Lamont School of Music. Before that, he served as a clinical professor and associate dean at DU’s Colorado Women’s College (2009-2016), and as a clinical professor in the Department of Psychology (1991-2009). He is also a past president of the DU Faculty Senate (2014-2016).

To register for the Symposium, please click on the link:
https://liberalarts.du.edu/lamont/spirituals-project

Announcing our guest conductor for our evening concert and music clinician for the symposium during the day, Dr. Rollo Dilworth.

Rollo Dilworth is currently Vice Dean and Professor of Choral Music Education in the Department of Music Education and Therapy at Temple University’s Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts in Philadelphia, PA.

Dilworth serves on the national boards of Chorus America, the National Collegiate Choral Organization (NCCO), and the Presser Foundation; he is an active life member of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA). He also holds memberships with several other organizations, including the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), the National Association of Negro Musicians (NANM) and the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP).

To register for the Symposium, please click on this link:
https://liberalarts.du.edu/lamont/spirituals-project

There are still a few tickets left! Our spring concert is this Saturday, May 18 at 7:30pm. Tickets are free but required to enter the hall. The program includes music by: William Dawson, Moses Hogan, Roland Carter, Harry T. Burleigh, Walter Hawkins, Richard Smallwood, and our guest conductor, Rollo Dilworth. Accompanying us will be rhythm section and string ensemble. For more ticket information, please visit: https://liberalarts.du.edu/node/37234

The Spirituals Project is proud to announce that Dr. Lee Butler, Jr. will be the resident theologian for our upcoming Symposium this Saturday, May 18 beginning at 11am.

The Rev. Dr. Lee H. Butler, Jr. became the 17th President and CEO of the Iliff School of Theology July 1, 2023. In this new role, he desires to introduce Iliff to new communities and invite fellowship. Butler comes to Iliff from Phillips Theological Seminary, Tulsa, OK, where he served as the Vice-President of Academic Affairs and Academic Dean, and the William Tabbernee Professor of the History of Religions and Africana Pastoral Theology since July 1, 2020. He is the first African American tenured full professor and the first person of color to hold the office of VPAA and Academic Dean and served as Acting President at Phillips.

Dr. Butler received his PhD and Master of Philosophy in Psychology and Religion from Drew University. He holds a Master of Theology in Pastoral Theology from Princeton Theological Seminary, a Master of Divinity with a concentration in Pastoral Care and Counseling from Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary (now Palmer Theological Seminary), and a BA in Religion from Bucknell University.

Registration for the symposium is free. For further information and to register, please visit: https://liberalarts.du.edu/lamont/news-events/all-articles/spirituals-project-symposium-2024

For the next few days we will feature the guests of our upcoming symposium which will take place on Saturday, May 18th.

Today we would like to put the spotlight on our keynote speaker, Dr. Tammy L. Kernodle. Dr. Kernodle is an internationally recognized musician and scholar that teaches and researches in the areas of African American music (concert and popular music) and gender studies in music.

The title of her keynote is, "Down Here Lord, Waiting on You: An Exploration of the Theological and Devotional Legacy of the Negro Spiritual." To find out more about Dr. Kernolde and the symposium, please visit: https://liberalarts.du.edu/lamont/spirituals-project

https://www.cpr.org/2024/05/06/cpr-classical-presents-the-spirituals-project-choir-in-concert-may-18/

CPR Classical Presents: The Spirituals Project Choir in concert May 18 Join CPR Classical Saturday, May 18th for University of Denver's Spiritual's Project Choir's annual spring concert. The program will explore prayer and how it functions as one of the primary themes of Negro Spirituals. Join CPR Classical Saturday, May 18th for University of Denver's Spiritual's Proj...

Announcing our symposium for 2024! This year's symposium (offered every three years) will focus on the theme of prayer, one of many recurring themes found in the Spirituals. Our keynote speaker is Dr. Tammy L. Kernodle, University Distinguished Professor at Miami University, Oxford, OH. The symposium will take place on Saturday, May 18 from 11am - 3pm. Registration is free. Use the link below for further information and to register. Then join us later that evening for a wonderful concert at 7:30PM!
https://liberalarts.du.edu/lamont/news-events/all-articles/spirituals-project-symposium-2024

We are pleased to announce that our final concert of the season will be on Saturday, May 18 at 7:30pm. Joining us as our special guest conductor is Dr. Rollo Dilworth. Tickets are available through the Newman Center box office. We hope to see you there!
https://liberalarts.du.edu/node/37234

The work continues! We are proud to share this news article appearing in Washington Park: The Profile, by way of Colorado Community Media. We are grateful to our founder, Dr. Arthur C. Jones for his vision and continued commitment, our director, Professor M. Roger Holland II who has continued the mission, and to our Choir members whose work, commitment, and sacrifice enliven the mission and revitalizes the music of the Spirituals every day.

The Spirituals Project at University of Denver revitalizes African American traditions - Washington Park Profile During concert performances of The Spirituals Project, director and choir conductor M. Roger Holland II invites the audience to sing in unison with the choral members – their voices melding together in a collective sonic experience. The audience is also invited to learn about “spirituals,” mel...

We’re happy to be joining the Arvada Chorale for this wonderful collaboration. There are 2 opportunities to join us!

Lift Every Voice For Freedom - A Collaboration with The Spirituals Project https://arvada-chorale-company.square.site/

Our March 3rd concert is now officially sold out! Thank you to everyone who has gotten their tickets. We look forward to seeing you on Sunday! It's still possible to enjoy the concert via the livestream. See the link in the comments section.

Concert coming up on Sunday, March 3, 2024, at 4pm (MT). Here's a link for more information.

The Spirituals Project Winter Concert featuring Denver Children’s Choir | Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences The Spirituals Project Winter Concert featuring Denver Children’s Choir Back to Event Listing March 3 4:00pm - 6:00pm Newman Center for the Performing Arts, Gates Concert Hall Audience: Alumni,  Current Student,  Faculty,  Families,  Neighbor or Friend,  Prospective Student,  Staff Purchase ...

The time has arrived! Our first full concert of the season! Sunday, March 3 at 4:00 PM. Free general admission (ticket required) or $5 reserved seating in the parterre section. Plus, we're excited to welcome our very special guest, the Denver Children's Choir!

Please join The Spirituals Project in wishing our founder, Dr. Arthur C. Jones, professor emeritus at the University of Denver, a very Happy Birthday! (Picture taken May 2023 at our National Conference on Healing.)

I recently had a chance to sit down for a Zoom interview with Robert Ellsberg, the publisher of Orbis Books, to discuss the revised, 30th anniversary edition of my book, WADE IN THE WATER: THE WISDOM OF THE SPIRITUALS

Arthur Jones, One On One Interview | "Wade in the Water: The Wisdom of the Spirituals" Orbis Publisher, Robert Ellsberg, discusses "Wade in the Water: The Wisdom of the Spirituals - Revised Edition" with author Arthur C. Jones in this One On On...

There's still time to join The Spirituals Project Choir this season! Spots available for Tenors and Basses, as well as a couple of spots for Sopranos and Altos. Auditions (by appointment) are available Wednesday 9/6 (tomorrow) and Thursday 9/7. Contact our director at [email protected] to schedule your appointment now!!!

Our founder, Dr.Arthur Jones, writes in his book "Wade in the Water" The Wisdom of the Spirituals," now in its 3rd edition, that enslaved Africans in America knew that "they would have to be their own agents of liberty." Blacks in America have long been regarded as shiftless and lazy. Yet, working slow was actually a tool of resistance, as the enslaved realized that their lack of productivity detracted from their enslavers economic wealth.

Dr. Alisha Lola Jones writes, "Rest is the ultimate expression of freedom... That is true liberation." To rest, to take time for leisure and rejuvenation, is holistic, is to honor the body, and necessary. It is radical and liberative.

This Labor Day, take time for rest. In doing so you engage in something that is necessary. Honor freedom. Honor liberty. Honor the ancestors.

Spiritual lessons for Labor Day, when the rest is noise As many of us take a much-needed break during the Labor Day weekend, Rev. Dr. Alisha Lola Jones urges us to make rest part of our ministry.

We had a great time performing at the BRIC 3rd anniversary celebration on Tuesday, August 29! You can still audition to be a part of our choir community. Auditions next week 9/6 and 9/7. Email [email protected] for details.

Now's your time to AUDITION for The Spirituals Project Choir!!!

Many of you have been asking. Well, the time has arrived! The Spirituals Project Choir is holding auditions over the next two weeks for the upcoming season!

Auditions will be held Wednesday and Thursday from 6-8pm on the following dates:
- 8/30, 8/31
- 9/6, 9/7

There are several spots are available for Tenors and Basses, as well as a few for Sopranos and Altos. You don't need to have a great voice, just a passion for singing and our mission to preserve the music of the Spirituals, and a commitment to social justice.

For more information and to schedule an appointment, please contact our director at [email protected]

We've got an exciting season ahead!

We are honored to have been invited to participate in the Inauguration Ceremony of Denver's 46th Mayor.

Please support our friends at Kantorei this weekend as they close out their 25th Anniversary season with this wonderful concert of music by African American composers. Our director, M. Roger Holland II, will be guest conductor. You don't want to miss it!
For tickets: https://kantorei.org/walk-together-children/

Tomorrow's the day! Join us for our gala concert, concluding our 3-day conference and our 2022-23 season. Featuring music by Roland Carter, Jester Hairston, M. Roger Holland, Hall Johnson, Oscar Williams, and Wm. Henry Smith. There are still some free tickets left, complimentary parking.

"Healing for the Soul." Saturday, May 13, 7:30pm, Gates Hall.
https://liberalarts.du.edu/node/36137

Introducing our Saturday Morning Plenary Speaker, Dr. Reiland Rabaka.

Dr. Reiland Rabaka is a Professor of African, African American, and Caribbean Studies and the Founder and Director of the Center for African & African American Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder. He has published 18 books and over 100 scholarly articles on topics such as civil rights music, black power, and hip hop culture. Dr. Rabaka has received numerous awards and honors for his work and has been featured in media outlets such as NPR, CNN, and The Guardian. He is also a poet, performing artist, and musician.
du.edu/healing2023

We are pleased to announce The Spirituals Project National Conference 2023, which opens today!

The theme this year is “Healing.” Healing is a counterpoint to violence, rupture, and stress—both sustained and sudden. In their earliest iterations, the spirituals responded to physical, spiritual, and cultural violence. And they have continued to do so.

Healing (or a lack thereof) is thus a theme that emerges in many ways throughout the spirituals’ history and their contemporary practice. Come explore with us what healing meant historically, what it means today, how the spirituals help us engage with it, and how we can examine it more deeply today.

The Conference will close with a gala concert on May 13th, 2023 featuring