On February 8, I enjoyed attending a musical celebration of Black history through music hosted by U of T’s Faculty of Music and the Toronto School of Theology. This event, directed by Assistant Professor of Music Education Darren Hamilton, brought together music from several eras in Black history to tell one cohesive story of faith, strength, love, and perseverance.

The first performance of the concert was “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round” which was one of the many freedom songs African Americans sang during the Civil Rights era in the US.

 “Ain’t gonna let Nervous Nelly turn me ‘round… / Ain’t gonna let Chief Pritchett turn me ‘round… / Ain’t gonna let Mayor Kelly turn me ‘round / I’m gonna keep on a-walkin’, keep on a-talkin’ / Marching up to freedom land.” 

Those lyrics tell the story of an individual who faces resistance from numerous factors but chooses to remain undeterred and steadfast in their march for freedom. Serving as a cold open to the concert, the performance’s sombre and serene tone gripped the crowd’s attention and set the tone for the rest of the concert.

Jumping ahead, the event’s electrifying fourth performance featured Sharon Riley, a gospel recording artist honoured with a JUNO award — Canada’s premier music award recognizing outstanding musical achievements. Along with the help of the U of T Gospel Choir, Riley performed her rendition of the song “Chariot.”

The tradition of singing holds a profound connection to resistance and liberation, particularly through the days of slavery and the civil rights era
Jodie Glean, U of T Executive Director of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion,
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Prior to the event, Hamilton provided a bit of background on Riley. He wrote in an email to The Varsity that Riley’s choir — the Faith Chorale — “Made history in the late 1990s by being the first Canadian gospel group to sign an international major recording contract.” The album — titled Life Is — appeared on that record label, earning them a JUNO award. They also previously earned a JUNO award nomination for their independent album titled Caught Up. 

Hamilton expressed praise and excitement for Riley and Faith Chorale. “Having performed for 30 years, Sharon Riley and Faith Chorale have made their mark as one of the premiere gospel choirs in Canada. We are excited to have Sharon perform with us, and for the first time since the choir’s inception, to be performing music by a local Canadian gospel artist as part of our repertoire,” he wrote.

Sharon Riley’s performance did not disappoint. COURTESY OF KAREN E. REEVES

Riley’s performance did not disappoint, as she delivered prayer through a song about hope and faith, with an upbeat rhythm that got various crowd members clapping along joyfully.

With heartfelt conviction, she sang, “Lord who I put my trust / the very present help in the time of trouble / always faithful concerning me / Come rain or shine / it’s your grace I see.” She captured the audience with both her powerful vocals and the song’s message of unwavering faith. The song fit the context of the night as a celebration of Black history — one could imagine how centuries ago, the same cries to heaven kept Black men and women faithful in their hope for a better tomorrow. 

The next performance — the fifth of the night — maintained the same edifying energy. The U of T Gospel Choir performed the Canadian premiere of an alternate arrangement of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” which the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People coined as the Black national anthem in 1919. Most recently, Alicia Keys famously performed this song at the 2020 Super Bowl in the wake of George Floyd’s death and the reinvigoration of the Black Lives Matter movement. Keys bore the song as a solemn performance, in line with the socio-political climate of the time.

The version of the song performed at the concert — arranged by Brandon Felder, a professor of music and Director of Choral Studies at Bowie State University — opted for a more optimistic tone evocative of a more traditional African American chorus.

Arrangements bore a tone evocative of a more traditional Black American chorus. COURTESY OF KAREN E.REEVES

A myriad of factors facilitated this, including the traditional organ that played in the background, the rhythmic drums, and the vocal unison delivered by the choir. Other aspects, such as the use of repetition and a bit of freestyling, really helped bring forth that gospel church essence. Lastly, towards the end of the song, members from U of T’s West African drumming ensemble joined the stage to further enrich the performance with a traditional African cadence.

After this song, a final performance led to an intermission, during which the U of T’s Executive Director of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, Jodie Glean, delivered a statement that seemingly resonated deeply with many crowd members. She emphasized the importance of singing in the Black struggle for liberation, saying that “the tradition of singing holds a profound connection to resistance and liberation, particularly through the days of slavery and the civil rights era, [when] songs brought from Africa were used to inspire, motivate, and were also a critical means of communication for many enslaved peoples.”

Glean also underscored the deep cultural and spiritual importance of drumming and dance in African traditions. In her closing remarks, she affirmed U of T’s commitment to supporting the flourishing of Black communities through programs and initiatives that foster success and well-being. 

Following the statement and intermission were six more beautiful and impactful acts presented to the audience, with two major standouts. The first standout was introducing an original song, “Do You See Them,” a song lyrically concerned with the issue of homelessness. It repeatedly asked the question, “What will you do when you see them again?”, referring to its subjects.

The last performance of the night stood out as the most interactive and lively.COURTESY OF KAREN E.REEVES

At the concert, Hamilton described how he and PhD candidate of musical arts Aaron Manswell, had worked on this song for quite some time. Hamilton also relayed to the audience that the U of T Gospel Choir is currently in the process of recording the song to be released as the first official song for U of T’s Faculty of Music. 

In the same email to The Varsity, Hamilton wrote: “Manswell and I were interested in how we might compose a piece that intersects with a biblical message and common issues in society, namely poverty and homelessness.”

After the penultimate performance of “Do You See Them?” the U of T Gospel Choir performed “Great Expectations” by gospel musical artist JJ Hairston. Of all the performances on the night, this one stood out to me as the most interactive and lively. Hamilton prompted crowd members to stand up and sing — with most, if not all, abiding — and the night ended in jubilee and hope, as the crowd joyfully shouted out their own personal great expectations with a sense of hopefulness that can only be found in a church.

With this final performance, I remembered something Hamilton shared in his correspondence with The Varsity. He wrote that “Black music… is often not given the credit or recognition for its contributions to various genres of music… I would encourage Black musicians and scholars to explore as much Black music as possible, not on a surface level, but on a deeper level of seeking to understand the historical, social and cultural context of the music.”