Article "Negro Male Quartet Sings at Vespers"

Article "Negro Male Quartet Sings at Vespers"

Vesper services, an evening prayer held every Sunday, often involved musical groups coming to campus for the evensong service. On March 2, 1930, a "Hampton Negro male quartet" was invited to perform at vespers. According to this summary of the event, an unusually large crowd of students was in attendance. The author notes that the manager of the club, Mr. Seiberling, was a white man. The quartet played old Negro spirituals including "Climbing Jacob's Ladder" and "Going Home," which the author states were well-received by those in attendance. The article noted that the quartet would be going on tour with the University of Richmond's Glee Club throughout Europe during the summer months. Hampton Institue, renamed Hampton University in 1984, is a hisorically Black university in Hampton, Virginia. It is likely that this quartet is the Hampton Quartet, under was the musical direction of Robert Nathaniel Dett, a prominent Black composer and musician.

"Negro Male Quartet Sings at Vespers: Program Includes Many Southern Negro Spirituals; Dr. Mitchell Presides." The Richmond Collegian XVI, no. 21, (March 7, 1930): 6. http://collegian.richmond.edu/cgi-bin/richmond?a=d&d=COL19300307.2.44&srpos=1&e=--1928---1932--en-20--1--txt-txIN-

The Collegian, University of Richmond

1930-03-07

English

RichmondCollegianXVI.21.6-19300307.jpg

Richmond (Va.)