AS part of its activities to mark the International Year for People of African Descent, the US Embassy has invited the Howard University choir to Jamaica for a series of performances and master classes.

The choir garnered critical acclaim under the leadership of its former conductor, the late Dr Warner Lawson, and has extended its tradition of excellence under the leadership of its present conductor, Dr J Weldon Norris.

The choir has toured extensively both in the United States and globally, and has been highly praised for its performances of the choral works of J S Bach, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Rachmaninoff and Poulenc.

True to its legacy, the choir has become known as the definitive interpreter of negro spirituals and work songs, as well as of choral works by composers of African descent. The Washington Post pronounced recently that the choir’s performance of negro spirituals was “mesmerisingly beautiful”. Since 1974 the choir has been privileged to perform for every president of the United States at the White House and, most recently, appeared there at three receptions during the Christmas season.

In February of 2009, the choir was featured on the Public Broadcasting Services (PBS) series History Detectives, performing negro spirituals from slave songs of the United States. In March of the same year, the choir, sponsored by the US Department of State, toured five cities in the People’s Republic of China. The choir has performed on every continent except Antarctica and has previously toured in the Caribbean, with this visit marking its first to Jamaica.

They will join Bishop W A Blair and his congregation at the New Testament Church of God in Bayside, Portmore for worship today and this evening, will perform at the Stella Maris church in St Andrew.

On Tuesday, they will travel to the Northern Caribbean University in Mandeville, for an afternoon performance. On Wednesday, the choir will perform at the chapel, University of the West Indies, Mona. All performances are free and open to the public.