Young, Gifted, and Black Gospel Choir to Tour Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin

The Young, Gifted, and Black Gospel Choir will travel around the Midwest during the choir’s annual spring concert tour, performing six free concerts open to the public — one on Saturday, March 14, in Waterloo, Iowa; one on Sunday, March 15, in Maplewood, Minnesota; three (Monday and Tuesday, March 16 and 17) in Milwaukee; and one on Wednesday, March 18, in Marion, Iowa.

The Young, Gifted, and Black (YGB) Choir will share its music ministry in a concert titled “What a Mighty God We Serve.” This concert theme is based on an arrangement, “Mighty God” by Deitrick Haddon. The choir will also perform selections from a variety of other artists, such as the Chicago Mass Choir, Stephen Hurd, Travis Greene, and Timothy Wright. The Young, Gifted, and Black Gospel Choir is directed by Barry Jones.

One concert in Milwaukee’s Clinton Rose Senior Center demonstrates the choir’s commitment to social justice, community service, and educational opportunities. In addition to singing, choir members will spend time interacting with individuals who regularly use the facility.

In Marion, Iowa, on March 18, soprano Randye Jones will also sing two selections to start the concert. Jones is a staff member at Grinnell College and author of the book So You Want to Sing Spirituals.

The Young, Gifted, and Black Gospel Choir was established in 1967, when six black first-year students came together in the basement of Younker Hall to share a common and powerful experience: gospel music. The name of the choir was taken from a work titled "To Be Young, Gifted, and Black" by renowned African American writer Lorraine Hansberry.

The choir has evolved over the years and now encompasses members from different cultures, nationalities, and races. This diversity makes the choir even stronger. The one constant in the long history of the choir is the tradition of celebrating Black American culture through gospel music.

Tour Schedule

4 p.m. Saturday, March 14:
Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church
432 Newell St.
Waterloo, Iowa
319-232-6171

10:30 a.m. Sunday, March 15:
Gethsemane Lutheran Church and School
Hosted by the Redeemed Christian Church of God, De-Vine Parish
2410 Stillwater Road
Maplewood, Minnesota
651-739-7540

6:30 p.m. Monday, March 16
St. Francis of Assisi Parish
1927 Vel R. Phillips Ave.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
414-374-5750

12:15 p.m. Tuesday, March 17
Clinton Rose Senior Center
3045 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Drive
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
414-263-2255

6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 17
St. Catherine Catholic Church
5101 West Center St.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
414-445-5115

6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 18              
First Baptist Church
1260 29th St.
Marion, Iowa
319-377-3275