Yale Alumni Chorus | Spirit of Song Tour

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The Yale Alumni Chorus, directed by Jeff Douma, is planning a tour to Toronto next August to explore a core part of the Yale singing tradition: Spirituals.

From Wednesday evening through Sunday brunch, experience musical rehearsals and performance, academic enlightenment, and community engagement.  We’ll learn about, hear, and(of course!) sing the music of the Underground Railroad.

Our hosts and Partners

The Nathaniel Dett Chorale, a Toronto-based professional choir specializing in Afrocentric music of all styles, including classical, spiritual, gospel, jazz, folk, and blues. The Chorale’s founder (and current director) Brainerd Blyden-Taylor named The Chorale after internationally-renowned African- Canadian composer R. Nathaniel Dett (1882-1943), who performed at prestigious concert halls such as Carnegie Hall and Boston Symphony Hall. Dett was dedicated to the cause of Black music, winning the Bowdoin and Frances Boott prizes in 1920 from Harvard University. Blyden-Taylor established The Chorale to draw attention not only to Dett’s legacy but also to the wealth of Afrocentric choral music, and to be a professional choral group where persons of African heritage could see themselves represented in the majority.he Chorale regularly delivers workshops on Performance Practice in Spirituals.  Check them out on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QuTAerbeGA

Scholars from the Harriet Tubman Institute at York University, which is dedicated to capturing, studying, and telling the story of the migration of African peoples around the globe, from centuries ago to the present day. 

Our team of event producers, led by John Rouse ’72 and Brian Wynn ‘73, are collaborating with Jeff Douma, the director of the Chorale, and scholars from the Institute to create a very special program for the Yale Alumni Chorus.  To complement and inform our singing, we’ll have lectures, panels, and discussions on the history of the Spiritual, its place on the Underground Railroad, and topics such as “authenticity” in the performance of spirituals.  There will be time for community engagement, and we will cap off the weekend with a Gala Concert on Saturday evening and a rousing send-off on Sunday.  

Travel Details

Cost for the event is still TBD, but should be less than $950 per person (excluding travel to and from Toronto, accommodations, and a few meals on your own). Need-based financial assistance will be available if you wish to apply for it.You will be responsible to arrange your own accommodations. YAC will arrange for blocks of rooms at  hotels near our venue, at different price points, and possibly including an option for low-cost dorm room housing.YAC will arrange for buses for any ground transportation that may be needed during the course of the weekend.Rehearsals will begin on Wednesday evening.This is a family friendly event.  Since it's summer vacation time, some of you might choose to bring your children to Toronto.  There will be a substantial discount for non-singing children under 16.  However, the event producers are not planning special activities (or babysitting) for children, so someone will need to be available to supervise them. If you want to see the fabulous sights in Toronto, plan to extend your visit before or after the event on your own (or with some fellow Yalies!).

Interested?

If you are interested, and have not already responded, click here for a short survey indicating the likelihood of your signing up for the event.