![]() ![]() Over 40 years ago (1968) the Singers undertook their first European tour. Queen Victoria's immediate acceptance helped this a cappella four-part singing by an ensemble of students to become known worldwide as a creative religious music evoking a deep sense of personal spiritual fervor. The arranged spiritual became known in the Winter of 1870 when an intrepid group of 11 singers - seven women and four men - representing the newly-established Fisk University in Nashville appeared at the Court of St. The repertory of The Albert McNeil Jubilee Singers is focused on the rich genre of African-American music known as Negro Spirituals. That's even there on the by-now famous "Nkosi Sikelel'i Afrika," the country's very hymn-like national anthem, performed here as the closer, full-voiced and glorious, sung with unconcealed pride and joy. It's majestic, but that's the intent, a nexus between Europe and Africa, meeting in Christianity. There's a sense of control about it all, even when a speaking voice breaks in on "Jerusalem Ikhaya Lam," for instance, or on the rare instances some very spare percussion accompanies the a cappella voices. The harmonies might have their written roots in Europe, but the voices singing them are ineffably African, bringing something different to the sound. But unlike, say, American or Jamaican gospel, there's a sense of unity, rather than testifying the voices embrace this music, but they sing it as it is, rather than using it as a lift-off point to testify. Unlike so many hymns, these are performed with great, roaring joy (arranged for the most part by Louw) and recorded - as it should be - in a church. Handpick singers from a number of South African choirs, put the excellent Mara Louw out in front as the lead, take a number of hymns they all know from church, as well as the South African national anthem, and you have the ingredients for this excellent disc.
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