During concert performances of The Spirituals Project, director and choir conductor M. Roger Holland II invites the audience to sing in unison with the choral members – their voices melding together in a collective sonic experience.
The audience is also invited to learn about “spirituals,” melodies that were sung by enslaved Africans in America during the 18th and 19th centuries and are now being preserved through active performance by the multigenerational, multiracial University of Denver affiliated group. With a mission to revitalize the music and teachings of these sacred hymns, the interactive aspect of The Spirituals Project’s concerts has made them a cherished organization in the Denver community and beyond.
“People appreciate the opportunity to be a part of the music-making,” said Holland, an associate professor of music and religion at DU’s Lamont School of Music. “Historically, much of this music has been sustained and perpetuated through oral tradition. If these songs aren’t sung, they fade from memory and existence.”
In the same way the choir keeps the music of spirituals alive through song, the teachings of the musical practice pulse through the choir community through its commitment to social justice and education.
“The messages and lessons of the music are acted out almost automatically in the way the choir members relate to each other,” said Dr. Arthur C. Jones, The Spirituals Project founder and a professor emeritus of music, culture and psychology at Lamont. “It’s almost a microcosm of the kind of coming together that could happen outside in the community because we have people that come from different backgrounds, educational levels, racial backgrounds and political perspectives.”
The Spirituals Project choir hosts about 10 performances a year, the majority happening off the DU campus in the community at churches, retirement homes and public community venues like public libraries and parks. The choir is open to anyone who can commit to the practice and performance schedule, and everyone is encouraged to audition. While there is no requirement for formal music or vocal training, participants need to understand the mission of The Spirituals Project as it is an essential part of the choir’s purpose, said Holland.
Preserving the cultural heritage of spirituals is to preserve the power these songs have in uplifting individuals and communities during times of crisis, inspiring and instilling hope. Spirituals became integral to the survival of enslaved Africans in America by helping them form community and by serving as a tool for freedom fighting. Holland explains that spirituals served as a mechanism for strategizing and communicating through encoded messages.
“In a state where the oppressor dehumanized slaves, this music helped to affirm their humanity, encouraged them when they were discouraged, and contributed to their belief in freedom,” said Holland.
Jones said there is still misunderstanding about the music form, particularly conflating spirituals and gospel music.
“A lot of people in the Black community are almost ashamed of the music because they think these were slaves passively sitting around thinking about going to heaven,” he said. “This music has a long tradition of bringing people together in healing wounds – psychological, spiritual and emotional.”
In 1993, Jones published the book, “Wade In The Water: The Wisdom of the Spirituals,” which explores the tradition of values associated with spirituals. Now in its third edition, published in 2023, the most recent installment includes discussion about why the music resonates with so many people today.
“Given all of the factions happening in our country right now, spirituals are a resource that facilitates people coming together and celebrating our shared humanity,” said Jones.
Since its start, The Spirituals Project has evolved organically with a focus on education and community building as a constant focal point. The project was pre-dated by a series of solo concerts, lectures and workshops by Jones. One of the earliest programs took place at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science in February 1991 for Black History Month, at the invitation of the museum’s community outreach coordinator.
Eventually, more local concerts were organized and Jones began to receive invitations to host solo lectures and concert programs all over the United States. As interest in the work grew, Jones formed The Spirituals Project in 1998 as a local organization that would initially serve as the fundraising arm for a proposed documentary film, and the community choir was established in a more formal capacity to serve as ambassadors for the project’s mission. The project operated fully through volunteers between 1998 and 2003 until its first executive director was hired. Due to Jones’ connection with DU, the group had an office on campus and would perform annually at the Newman Center for the Performing Arts, while still operating as an independent nonprofit.
With an incredible response from the community, including the 2008 documentary, “I Can Tell the World” by filmmakers Larry Bograd and Coleen Hubbard, and receiving a 2010 Denver Mayor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, The Spirituals Project was officially incorporated into DU’s Lamont School of Music in 2016. A national search for the first Lamont faculty director of The Spirituals Project was launched, and that brought Holland to head the program. Today, DU students can participate in the choir for credit, and staff and faculty members have also been closely involved through the years.
In addition to the choir, the educational focus of the project has led to the creation of tri-annual programming, rotating through a symposium, a choral festival and a national conference, where guest speakers are invited to speak on a particular facet of spirituals.
“It’s nothing I would have predicted (that) would have happened to me professionally, and it’s such a privilege to still be able to do this,” said Jones, who still sings in the choir. “This legacy has an infinite future because now it’s institutionalized.”
More money to the cronies.