By Jerome Langston
“I’ve been a fan of this music since I was a kid,” says Robert Cross, Executive Director and artistic director of the Virginia Arts Festival, referring to gospel music — which he became immersed in through the local scene of gospel choirs here in Hampton Roads, back in the seventies he tells me… early on in our recent phone chat. It’s a bit of a surprise to hear, as Cross has long been associated with classical music, via his high-profile role as principal percussionist with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. His roots in the appreciation of gospel music date back to Rob’s early days as a teen working retail — he became exposed to gospel choirs through his relationship with an African American assistant manager that he worked for at the time. That love and appreciation for gospel music, and especially the artistry of gospel choirs, has led Rob, who founded the Virginia Arts Festival back in 1997, to regularly include gospel choirs in VAF’s expansive programming of concerts each season. Next month the highly celebrated Soweto Gospel Choir makes its return to the festival, playing an evening of South African freedom songs, at the historic Attucks Theatre in Norfolk.
Similarly to Rob, I also grew up on gospel music here in Hampton Roads, even before becoming a preacher’s kid — both of my parents were involved with choirs and/or gospel music quartets back in the 1980s. I adore the music, its traditions… and mission of spreading the gospel far and wide. It’s steeped in soul and spirituality, so it hits differently. “My antenna’s always up when there’s these opportunities to bring in a really quality gospel choir,” says Rob. And this is at least the third time that the Soweto Gospel Choir has performed for the Virginia Arts Festival. The choir was last here in December of 2022 at the Attucks, for a holiday themed concert.
Rob attended that holiday concert, which was entitled Hope: It’s Been a Long Time Coming. The choir was on a North American tour, as they also are this time, and some of the music performed at the Attucks that night was from their then recently released album, Hope. I ask Rob what he recalls about that concert. “The Attucks is a very intimate place to see something like this. So you really feel like you’re caught up in it. There’s so much energy in the room. And they are particularly good about bringing the audience into the performance,” he says.
Back in November of 2022, I chatted with Vincent “Shimmy” Jiyane, who is the choir master, and was also the choreographer of the Soweto Gospel Choir. At the time of our interview he was in Santa Barbara, talking to me right before a sold-out concert that same night. Shimmy is one of the choir’s founding members, and so his perspective about the choir, its history and mission, was invaluable to the eventual article that I wrote for Veer. “I started as a dancer. Dancing was my first love,” he said. He was trained in classical ballet, tap and jazz… as well as multiple forms of African dance. Dance is a significant component to their performances.
Though larger in overall membership, the choir playing theatres and other venues throughout North America starting later this month, is a bit over twenty members strong. This time the program is entitled Peace, and it will feature classics like “A Change is Gonna Come,” “Hallelujah,” and “Man in the Mirror,” as well as traditional South African freedom songs in the first part of the program. Formed back in the early aughts, in Soweto, South Africa, the Soweto Gospel Choir has built an incredible career in music— touring and releasing albums, as well as collaborating will hugely popular music superstars; includes the likes of Stevie Wonder, Celine Dion, Beyoncé, U2, Josh Groban, and Pharrell Williams. The choir sings in English, as well as in multiple official languages of South Africa. They have won Grammys, an Emmy, and have received many prestigious award nominations over the years. They’ve performed for the American Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton respectively, and for their patron, Archbishop Desmond Tutu. And they of course performed many times for their esteemed South African President, the great Nelson Mandela, who passed away in December of 2013.
In addition to their Attucks concert, there will be a student matinee as well, which will also be the case at the earlier Ferguson Center date. It follows VAF’s long standing commitment to making the arts accessible to our area’s public-school students. “If the repertoire is appropriate, we almost ask every artist to do a workshop, masterclass or student matinee,” says Rob. “Schools are hungry for good, quality ways to introduce young people to the arts.”
Shimmy shared with me during our prior interview, that choir members spend most of the year on the road. The choir stays in constant demand internationally. Despite the rigor and challenges of being often on the road, he expressed that singing gospel for choir members is more than just performing songs. “We know that we don’t just sing, but we minister to the people,” he said. “We always spread the word of joy, peace and happiness, all over the world.”
WANT TO GO?
Soweto Gospel Choir
Presented by Virginia Arts Festival
October 12, Ferguson Center of the Arts
October 14, Attucks Theatre
