The American Spiritual Ensemble recently entertained and educated Berry College students, faculty and friends.
Berry hosted the ensemble Feb. 2 in the College Chapel as part of the Conson Wilson Series. The American Spiritual Ensemble is a world-renowned professional group composed of some of the greatest singers in classical music. Performing these spirituals serves as a tribute to the many lives lost or destroyed during slavery in the United States. According to the ASE mission, these songs now stand as a testament of the strength found through faith during times of hardship as well as a unifying force among all peoples.
Founded in 1995, many of its members have performed in such venues as the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, Houston Grand Opera, San Francisco Opera, Boston Opera and the Atlanta Civic Opera.
Aside from performances, the ensemble also offers lectures, master classes, radio/television appearances, and vocal instruction for educational, religious, and community institutions.
The performance was brought to Berry through the distinguished Conson C. Wilson Lectureship Program that welcomes scholars of national and international acclaim. The program was made possible by the late Colonel Conson Cummins Wilson. Wilson received his B.A. from the University of Michigan, pursued graduate studies at Oxford University in England and eventually earned a law degree from Harvard University Law School.
In the 1930s, Wilson visited Berry to enroll a promising young man in the college. During that visit to Berry, Colonel Wilson met Berry’s founder, Martha Berry. From that day forward, he shared her vision of educational opportunity for able and deserving young people.
For more information on Berry’s music program, visit our Music Major page .
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Written by Public Relations Student Assistant Reed Couch
Office of Public Relations
