Franklin Library Special Collections and Archives : Fisk Jubilee Singers Collection
The Fisk Jubilee Singers, Commissioned by Queen Victoria of England, 1873.
Book Spotlight
Dark Midnight When I Rise by ISBN: 0374187711Publication Date: 2000-05-01Setting out initially to raise money for their university, the Fisk Jubilee Singers -- a troupe of young ex-slaves and freedmen -- ended up changing the face of American music. Despite their venues of small-town churches and train stations, and the hardships of poverty and racism, the Jubilee Singers eventually became a popular vocal group whose admirers included Ulysses S. Grant and Queen Victoria. Recounted here for the first time is the career of the Jubilee Singers, which followed one of the most remarkable progressions in American history: from whipping post and auction block to concert hall and throne room.
A Band of Angels by ISBN: 0689810628Publication Date: 1999-01-01A Band of Angels is fiction, but it is based on real events and people. The character of Ella was inspired by Ella Sheppard Moore, who was born February 4, 1851, in Nashville, Tennessee. Her father was able to free himself and young Ella from slavery, but before he could buy freedom for Ella’s mother she was sold away. Ella was raised in Cincinnati, where she took music lessons. At fifteen, she was left penniless when her father died. She arrived at Fisk School in 1868 with only six dollars. That year, in a desperate attempt to save Fisk from closing, a music teacher named George White set out with a group of students on a singing tour to raise money. Although at first they only sang popular music of the day, they soon became famous for introducing spirituals to the world.
The Jubilee Singers of Today
Learn More!
Jubilee Hall
Correspondence
Ella Sheppard
Ella Sheppard Moore (1851-1914)
About the Collection
The tradition of excellence at Fisk has developed out of a history marked by struggle and uncertainty. The Fisk Jubilee Singers originated as a group of students who set out on a concert tour of the North on October 6, 1871 to save a financially ailing school. Their ages ranged from fifteen to twenty-five years old. The idea to form the group was conceived by George L. White, the University’s treasurer, against the disapproval of the University. White borrowed money for the tour. In the beginning, the group met with failure, singing classical and popular music. When they began to sing slave songs, they bought spirituals to the attention of the world during their national and European concerts. It was White who gave them the name Jubilee Singers in memory of the Jewish Year of Jubilee. The original Jubilee Singers (1871) are Minnie Tate, Greene Evans, Isaac Dickerson, Jennie Jackson, Maggie Porter, Ella Sheppard, Thomas Rutling, Benjamin Holmes, Eliza Walker, and George White as director.
Contents
The Jubilee Singers Archives, 1858-1924, consists of items that are focused on the activities of the Fisk University Jubilee Singers. There is an abundance of correspondences from members including George White (organizer), Ella Sheppard Moore, Mabel Imes, America Robinson, Maggie Porter, and Julia Jackson. The collection also includes newspaper clippings, photographs, publicity materials, and programs. The intellect of Ella Sheppard Moore is made apparent through her many manuscripts and publications in the collection. The Jubilee Singers documented there expeditions very well, as shown in the collection’s multiple scrapbooks, while the sheet music captures the historical music and arrangements dating back to 1872.
Jubilee Singers Article
Finding Aids
- Jubilee Singers Archives (Original) 1858-1924The Jubilee Singers Archives, 1858-1924, consists of thirteen archival
boxes (6.5 linear feet) focused on the activities of the Fisk University Jubilee Singers. - Jubilee Singers Archives (European Tour Collection) 1873-1878The Jubilee Singers European Tour Collection contains 10 boxes and consists of 3 series. This collection documents correspondence, financial records, and agent reports during the Jubilee Singers' time in Europe.
- Jubilee Singers Archives (Suplement 1) 1928-1982Contains programs, historical information and correspondence all in relation to the Fisk Jubilee Singers.
