Spelman College Glee Club bringing national tour to Chicago this weekend
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The women of the Spelman College Glee Club are on their way to Chicago, as the group travels the country, singing at various schools, events, and churches.
The women from the historically Black liberal arts college in Atlanta will perform at two Catholic parishes in the Chicago area over the weekend.
The Spelman College Glee Club will be celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2025.
"The Glee Club are the ambassadors for the college," said club director Dr. Kevin Johnson.
The renowned choral group carries quite the legacy, having performed for President Barack Obama in 2016, and taken the stage with the likes of the Dance Theater of Harlem, Aretha Franklin, Kathleen Battle, and Stevie Wonder.
"It's something that we carry, treasure, put on display, and we push its boundaries, because we're a forward-looking ensemble as it relates to singing," Johnson said.
"Our motto is to amaze and inspire, and we do just that in my opinion. We don't all major in music, so us sharing a common goal and a common passion for music is really truly inspiring," said Spelman senior Hunter Christopher.
Chicago will be the final stop on their tour.
"We look to come to a city with a rich musical history," Johnson said. "I teach Survey of African American Music, so I know about the Great Migration, when negroes came. We were going up North, and we came to Chicago; and Muddy Waters, and that Blues tradition, and R&B, and Record Row, and all the wonderful music – African American music – that was birthed in Chicago," Johnson said. "So we get that, as an institution, and we're bringing it. We're bringing it from our history, and if you come to the concert, we're bringing it. This is a one and only opportunity that people have to see this, because there is no other ensemble like this on Earth."
You have two opportunities to see the ladies in person.
On Saturday, they perform at Sacred Heart Church at Divine Mercy Parish in Winnetka.
Then Sunday, they'll sing at St. Benedict the African Parish in Englewood.
Both events are free to the public.
