The Morgan State University Choir will honor the memory of global statesman and activist Nelson Mandela on Wednesday, December 11 at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. beginning at 10:00 a.m.
The choir will formally open the memorial service for the former South African president, who captured international acclaim for his role in the anti-apartheid movement which led to a 27-year imprisonment, and his historic presidency in the years thereafter.
The choir will sing a mix of gospel, American classic and spirituals to start the memorial, and will then join the South African Community Choir for the duration of the service. MSU Choir Director and Chairperson of the MSU Department of Fine Arts, Dr. Eric Conway, calls the chance to perform a historic opportunity for the choir and the university.
“The choir is honored to be asked once again to encourage others through our music in the loss of one of the world’s greatest leaders. It is a great honor for the Morgan community to again lift up Mandela’s legacy through performance.”
The choir has a special connection to South Africa and the man known by his countrymen as ‘Madiba.’ The group toured South Africa in July 2009 and sang ‘Happy Birthday’ for Mandela on national television on his 90th birthday.