Wynton Marsalis, Pulitzer Prize and nine-time Grammy Award winner, composed his Gospel Mass “Abyssinian 200 – A Gospel Celebration” to honor the 200th anniversary of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem. On Dec. 7 at 5 p.m., the Princeton University Glee Club and Princeton University Concert Jazz Ensemble will come together to present this holiday concert at the Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall.
Each movement of the work characterizes a different preacher carrying a distinct message. For one movement, the listener is kneeling alongside young Marsalis and his mother back at St. Francis Catholic Church in his hometown of New Orleans. For another, Marsalis transports the audience to the wooden pews at Harlem’s historic Abyssinian Baptist Church, where the soul of the gospel tradition has been singing call-and-response since 1808.
The Glee Club will precede this performance with an Advent sequence, featuring the music of Roderick Williams and Arvo Pärt, and culminating in the performance of Giles Swayne’s Magnificat, inspired by melodies that the composer collected in Senegal in the 1980s.
Tickets are $15 regular and $5 for students. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit princetongleeclub.com or call 258-9220 .
