For Immediate Release
Jubilee Voices Celebrates 10 Years of Preserving African American Music and History
Silver Spring, MD, July 16, 2020 – The Washington Revels Jubilee Voices marks its 10th anniversary on Friday, July 31. Over the past decade, Jubilee Voices has performed traditional African American songs, dances, and stories, and has been increasingly in demand for performances at heritage sites, museums, and festivals around the DC region. Washington Revels is commemorating this milestone with “Jubilee July” — a month-long virtual celebration building up to an anniversary presentation that will be broadcast on Facebook Live.
Planning for the July 31 anniversary event is underway. The 45-60 minute video production will combine live and pre-recorded musical performances, dramatic readings, and the sharing of African American traditions by members of Jubilee Voices, as well as guest appearances. As with all Washington Revels programs, there will be opportunities for the audience to sing along. More information on the anniversary production is coming soon and will be available at the link below.
Special social media content includes a reading of Frederick Douglass’s 1852 speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July,” as well as video spotlights introducing ensemble members. Reposts of photos and recordings of past concerts and media appearances also will be featured during the month. In addition, “Jubilee July” goes live each Wednesday when different members of the ensemble appear as song leaders for the Washington Revels-Carpe Diem Arts Daily Antidotes of Song (learn more about this program below).
Founded in 2010, the Washington Revels Jubilee Voices is committed to the preservation of African American history and traditions. Through a cappella singing and spoken word, its members present songs and stories of struggle and perseverance. Performances have especially honored local heritage at area heritage sites and at Black History Month events. Recent highlights include the Library of Congress American Folklife Center’s “Archive Challenge” (2019), the Commemoration of the 155th Anniversary of the Battle of Fort Stevens (2019), and the opening ceremonies of the National Park Service’s Frederick Douglass Bicentennial (2018). Jubilee Voices is currently in the final stages of preparing four concert programs for historically Black communities located along Heritage Montgomery’s African American Heritage Trail in upper Montgomery County, MD.
More information on the “Jubilee July” schedule of events — including participation instructions for the Daily Antidotes of Song, links to past social media presentations, and the details for the July 31 celebration — is available at: https://revelsdc.org/jubilee-voices.
Daily Antidotes of Song: this program brings together audience members from the local area and beyond via videoconference and Facebook Live. Participants sing along on one song each day with a guest artist from a roster of local, national, and international performers, sharing music and community virtually. The program was launched in response to the isolation of the pandemic and has recently focused on songs supporting racial justice and social change.
Founded in 1983, Washington Revels is a multi-generational performing arts community of professionals and nonprofessionals that presents traditional music, dance, storytelling, and drama in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. It includes four performing ensembles — Gallery Voices, Heritage Voices, Jubilee Voices, and Maritime Voices — and produces after-school workshops, community participation and service events, and performances year round, including May Revels each spring and The Christmas Revels each December.
Washington Revels is supported in part by funding from the Montgomery County Government and the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County and in part by the Maryland State Arts Council (msac.org). The African American Heritage Trail project is supported by Heritage Montgomery, the Montgomery County Government, and the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority (MHAA).
Press Contact: Ross Wixon, Marketing & Development Director / rwixon@revelsdc.org / (202) 253-0449
Follow us @revelsdc.org
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
Flickr