Oct 11 – Marti Newland and Paul T. Kwami

October 8, 2012 by lshearing

All are welcome to the first EthNoise! of the year, featuring Marti Newland and Paul T. Kwami

On the Value of Quietness: Dr. Paul T. Kwami Conducting the Fisk Jubilee Singers®

Thursday, October 11 at 4:30 p.m. in Goodspeed Hall, room 205

Abstract–
The Fisk Jubilee Singers, an acapella concert spiritual ensemble comprised of Fisk University students directed by Dr. Paul T. Kwami, continue to perform the concert spiritual singing tradition established by the original ensemble in the 1870s. Renowned for their vocal virtuosity, the Singers regularly present themselves in concert with dignified poise and without the appearance of a choral conductor. This critical examination of Kwami’s conducting describes how his divergence from traditional ideals of Western choral conducting shapes the Fisk Jubilee Singers’ distinct style of self-led performances. Drawing from fieldwork and Kevin Quashie’s The Sovereignty of Quiet (2012), I discuss how Kwami’s mode of conducting educates the Singers about how to manage politics of racial inequality through a quiet presence and make audible their repertoire’s message of Christian faith.

After a brief documentary screening, we will be pleased to present Dr. Paul T. Kwami, Musical Director of the Fisk Jubilee Singers® and Marti Newland, Ph.D. Candidate in Ethnomusicology at Columbia University.

There is a pre-circulated paper, available here: Newland UChicago EthNoise Paper

Also, follow this link for a sample of the music to be discussed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIf8EV_04Yg