Hardy, VA - The famous Tuskegee Golden Voices Choir, an organization steeped in more than a century of pride, will be holding a concert at Resurrection Catholic Church on Thursday, March 6, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. You are welcome to attend this concert, hosted by Booker T. Washington National Monument. Admission is free.

From the beginning years of its history, students at Tuskegee Institute were encouraged to express themselves in communal singing. Founder Booker T. Washington, insisted on the singing of African American spirituals by everyone in attendance at the weekly Chapel worship services, a tradition which continues today. Further, he stated, "...If you go out to have schools of your own, have your pupils sing them as you have sung them here, and teach them to see the beauty which dwells is these songs..." Thus, the school developed and passed on a singing tradition.

In 1884, Booker T. Washington organized the Institute's first singers. This group was sent out by the founder to "promote the interest of Tuskegee Institute" by acquainting benevolent audiences to the Tuskegee name and the Washington philosophy for several brief years. The quartet was reorganized in 1909 and intermittently traveled until well into the 1940's, sometime adjusting its members to five, six or even up to eight.

The school choir was developed in 1886 because Dr. Washington had determined that the Institute was in need of a group of singers who could lead vesper services and sing for special campus occasions. The school choir would expand its role to providing vocal music for all cultural and religious campus activities.

In the 1930s, the 100-voice choir appeared at the opening of Radio City Music Hall in New York City (1932). This event expanded Tuskegee's prestige worldwide. The Tuskegee Choir was invited to sing at the birthday party of President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt in Hyde Park, New York. A few days later, the Choir presented a concert at the White House at the request of President Herbert Hoover. In the years to follow, the Tuskegee Choir would perform a series of concerts on the ABC, CBS, and NBC radio networks. It would become the first African-American performing organization to appear at Constitution Hall (1946), Washington, D.C.

The Choir's television debut came in 1950. On February 5th, Edgar Bergen (the father of actress Candace Bergen) introduced the Tuskegee Choir to a national audience on his television program, "The Edgar Bergen Show". The Choir's popularity continued to extend across the television airwaves as invitations poured in for appearances on "The Kate Smith Show" (1952), "The Ed Sullivan Show" (1952), "The Eddie Fisher Show" (1953 and 1954), "Frontiers of Faith" television program (1954) and "The Arthur Godfrey Show" (1954). A record album, "The Tuskegee Institute Choir Sings Spirituals" (1955), closed out the 1950s.

During the term of President John F. Kennedy, the Tuskegee Choir received special commendation from President Kennedy at the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in Washington, D.C. (1962) and a concert at the United States State Department (1962). Dr. Reliford Patterson would amplify and complete his directorship at Tuskegee with appearances at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel (1966) and Town Hall (1967), both in New York City.

In the 1970s, the Choir made concert appearances at the Julliard School of Music (1972), the New England Conservatory of Music (1972) and recorded the Tuskegee Institute Choir - Live" album (1979). However, the highlight of these years was a series of five concert tours to the Northern Tier of United States Air Force Bases for the Strategic Air Command (SAC) in 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978 and 1980.

In 1993, Stephen L. Hayes, led the Choir to Washington, D.C., for an appearance at the National Prayer Breakfast (1994). The occasion is celebrated annually by the President, Vice President, Supreme Court and Congress of the United States. Mother Teresa was the speaker for the event. Later that day, the Choir commemorated its 1962 visit to the United States Department of State with a concert.

In a tour of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (1995), the University Choir presented concerts at the Old South Church and the State house (Boston), the Berkshires, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and Mt. Holyoke College. A return tour to the Commonwealth in 1997 observed the centennial of the Robert Gould Shaw monument. Dr. Booker T. Washington had delivered the dedicatory address (1897) for the famous monument featured in the movie "Glory".

In 1997, the Choir became the first place trophy winner at the prestigious American Negro Spiritual Festival, Music Hall, Cincinnati, OH. Additionally, the Tuskegee University Choir was honored to sing in the East Room of the White House in December 1997. In 1999, the Choir continued on campus and out of town presentations, including a performance of Adolphus Hailstork's cantata "I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes" with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra.

In 2001, Dr. Wayne Anthony Barr became Director of the Choir. Dr. Barr holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Michigan with the organ as his major instrument; two master’s degrees from Southern Methodist University, one with an emphasis in organ performance and a second in choral conducting; and his undergraduate work was completed with high honors at the Westminster Choir College in New Jersey. His doctoral dissertation at the University of Michigan focused on "The History of the Pipe Organ in Black Churches in the United States." Barr said he found that immediately after Emancipation, a lot of Black Churches had pipe organs, a trend that declined during and after the depression.  African American churches wanted pipe organs because, Dr. Barr said, the pipe organ "represented the best in church music." He said that mind set changed as the music changed, and Black churches moved away from hymns.

But he said churches need to get back to singing hymns. "The music that is taking place of the hymn is very trivial," Dr. Barr maintains. "We sing what we believe," Dr. Barr explains. "Hymns reinforce our belief." He says a lot of songs today are one liners. "They give the what. Hymns go further. They give the what and the why," Dr. Barr observes. Since his undergraduate studies at Westminster Choir College in New Jersey, Barr says his goal has always been church music. But as he progressed through school, he says "the academic arena also became appealing." "I could teach students to go out and teach others. You do more with what you have" in a university setting, he allows. "In the church setting, you are teaching but they (the church members) are not likely to go out and teach others."

Barr’s goal has been to "build on the tradition and legacy of the Tuskegee University Golden Voices." He is taking the name of Tuskegee University out into the larger community, including annual choir concert tours. "Wherever we can go, wherever we can take the name Tuskegee, even Europe. No place is too far (for the choir to travel)," the new choir director says.

The National Park Service and Booker T. Washington welcome you to join us for this special concert. For more information about the concert, please contact Booker T. Washington National Monument at 540/721-2094. For more information about the choir, see the website at www.tuskegeechoir.org.

Booker T. Washington National Monument is one of 390 units of the National Park Service, the agency entrusted with the care of our nation’s natural and cultural treasures.