Soul-lifting Soweto Gospel Choir brings joy and hope
Enjoy an evening of elation, triumph, and hope. With joyous and powerful harmonies, brilliant costumes, and infectious spirit, the awe-inspiring 20-member Soweto Gospel Choir delights with its soul-lifting performances. Join the Grammy-winning ensemble for its latest production, “Hope: It's Been a Long Time Coming,” at the Moss Arts Center on Thursday, Nov. 17, at 7:30 p.m.
Co-sponsored by Virginia Tech’s Black Cultural Center, the performance will be held in the center’s Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre, located within the Street and Davis Performance Hall at 190 Alumni Mall.
“Hope: It's Been a Long Time Coming” celebrates American and South African artists who have been associated with struggles for civil rights and social justice. This unforgettable evening features emotional African gospel and freedom songs alongside selections inspired by the U.S. civil rights movement — beautiful and exceptionally moving renditions of songs by legendary artists including Curtis Mayfield, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, and Ben E. King.
Hailing from Soweto (South West Township), a town outside of Johannesburg and home of South Africa’s democratic movement, Soweto Gospel Choir features a lineup of some of South Africa’s best vocalists. Formed in 2003 at the end of the apartheid era and during South Africa’s inspiring return to democracy, the ensemble performed on many occasions for South African President Nelson Mandela, including at his state funeral in South Africa and the subsequent commemorative service at Westminster Abbey in London. The group also performed at the funeral service for the late president’s first wife, Winnie Mandela, and serves as an ambassador for the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
Soweto Gospel Choir has shared the stage and collaborated with some of the biggest names in contemporary music, including Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Beyoncé, U2, Diana Ross, Peter Gabriel, Chris Martin, John Legend, Pharrell Williams, Jimmy Cliff, Ben Harper, Angélique Kidjo, Robert Plant, Celine Dion, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Hugh Masekela, and Josh Groban.
This performance is supported in part by a gift from Clem and Georgia Carter and David and Judie Reemsnyder.
Related events
Members of Soweto Gospel Choir ensemble will speak with Virginia Tech students at the Black Cultural Center about the ensemble’s mission, history, and aspirations.
This engagement of Soweto Gospel Choir is made possible in part through the ArtsCONNECT program of Mid Atlantic Arts with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Ticket information
Tickets for the performance are $20-$45 for general public and $10 for students and youth 18 and under. Tickets can be purchased online; at the Moss Arts Center's box office, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; or by calling 540-231-5300 during box office hours.
Paid parking is available in the North End Parking Garage on Turner Street. Virginia Tech faculty and staff possessing a valid Virginia Tech parking permit can enter and exit the garage free of charge. Virginia Tech has also partnered with ParkMobile to provide a convenient, contactless electronic payment option for parking, which may be used at any parking meter, campus parking space, or lot with standard F/S, C/G, or R parking.
If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Jamie Wiggert at least 10 days prior to the event at 540-231-5300 or email wiggertj@vt.edu during regular business hours.
