At a glance
From classical music to Broadway tunes, the singers of Capriccio Columbus have become accustomed to performing a wide range of repertoire. And, no matter the program, the vocal group has always made room for spirituals.
“That was always part of our set,” said Artistic Director Larry Griffin. “Every concert, there were three or four spirituals in there.”
Last year, Griffin came up with the idea to form a new, smaller subsidiary of Capriccio that is dedicated solely to singing spirituals and other music reflecting African or African-American culture.
“I asked the group ... ‘What do you think about putting together a group that focuses only on spirituals and jazz and things like that?’” Griffin said. “They just said, ‘Yes.’”
The Capriccio Jubilee Singers’ first solo show will take place Sunday at New Hope Church.
Some members of the Capriccio Jubilee Singers New Hope Church, 4739 W. Powell Road www.capriccio columbus.org 4 p.m. Sunday $15, or $5 for age 18 and younger
33-member group are drawn from the 90-member Capriccio Columbus; others come from outside the ensemble.
“Everyone in there reads (music) very well and sings extremely well,” Griffin said. “It’s not all professional singers, but it’s people that are going to get the job done and have worked.”
In creating the group, Griffin drew inspiration from the Nathaniel Dett Chorale, a Canadian ensemble named for a prominent black composer who was born in Canada; Griffin saw the chorale in person in August.
“My wife and I drove to Toronto, Canada, ... and sat in on their workshop, just trying to get an idea of what they were doing,” Griffin said.
Back home, many members of Capriccio Columbus were excited at the prospect of joining the Jubilee Singers.
Evan McIntyre has sung with Capriccio Columbus for about a year but jumped at the chance to join the Jubilee Singers.
“Especially with a move away from sacred music, ... it’s nice to keep it alive in different concert settings,” McIntyre said, “and keep exposing that music to other generations.”
The new group had a trial run during the annual “Christmas With Capriccio” concert in December, performing composer Raymond Wise’s “Essence of Christmas.”
“That was our first thing, and people loved it,” Griffin said. “I said, ‘OK, I think we’re on the right track.’”
Consisting mostly of spirituals sung a cappella, Sunday’s concert will be divided into three sections. The first, “God's Promise of Salvation,” will open with a motet by Dett: “The Chariot Jubilee.”
“It’s kind of a take on ‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,’” said McIntyre, who serves as tenor soloist on the piece. “(Dett) expands it throughout a long piece, adding organ and adding more classical-music techniques.”
The second section, “Freedom in Heaven,” will feature songs such as “Amazing Grace” and “Is a Light Shinin’ in the Heavens”; and the third, “The Life of Trials, Hope and Perseverance,” will include “My God Is a Rock” and “Lord, How Come Me Here,” the latter with flutist Valorie Adams-Hildreth.
Griffin plans for the Jubilee Singers to prepare two programs a year, with each performed multiple times at venues throughout Columbus. The music will appeal to all audiences, he said.
“Everyone experiences pain, everyone experiences sorrow, everyone experiences laughter, joy and all of that,” he said, “and the spirituals have that.”