"Listen to the Lambs," performed by Fisk Jubilee Singers and the University of Mississippi Chorus

Hosting and performing with the Fisk Jubilee Singers in 2018 was a truly beautiful moment for the University of Mississippi Department of Music, and for our community. The Fisk Jubilee Singers are a renowned choral ensemble that, since 1871, has performed spirituals originally sung by slaves prior to the Civil War. Their legacy and music helped build a meaningful collaboration that our singers and community will remember for a long time.

Dr. George W. K. Dor, who organized the concert, remembers: “the most telling idea behind that historic concert is the collaboration of two choirs from the American South, one from a predominantly Black university and the other from one that is predominantly White. Both choirs, in one accord, ask us to take good care of the lambs. This is a message of solidarity that our world needs right now.”

We remember, too, the support for the concert that came from all parts of campus, and the beautiful performance of “Listen to the Lambs” that closed the concert. Written by R. Nathaniel Dett, who descended from escaped slaves who made their way to Canada, “Listen to the Lambs” reminds us to care for the vulnerable among us, for the good of our very souls. This performance illustrates that music can bring us together.

Fisk Jubilee Singers performed with the University of Mississippi Chorus, and the combined choir was conducted by Fisk’s director, Dr. Paul T. Kwami.