Photo by Richard Hurd
Wisconsin Union Theater: South African Gospel Choir Will Perform Songs in Celebration of Freedom and Civil Rights Oct. 8 in Madison
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 23, 2022
Contact Information:
Shauna Breneman, Communications Director
Email: sbreneman@wisc.edu
Phone: (608) 262-8862
SOUTH AFRICAN GOSPEL CHOIR WILL PERFORM SONGS IN CELEBRATION OF FREEDOM AND CIVIL RIGHTS OCT. 8 IN MADISON, WIS.
MADISON – The Soweto Gospel Choir will perform a new program, called, “Hope – It’s Been A Long Time Coming,” on Oct. 8 at 7:30 p.m. in Shannon Hall in commemoration of South Africa’s Freedom Movement and the Civil Rights Movement in the United States.
The three-time GRAMMY Award-winning ensemble will open the show with South African freedom songs and then move into music of the Civil Rights Movement, including works by artists James Brown, Otis Redding, Curtis Mayfield and Aretha Franklin.
The Soweto Gospel Choir celebrates African gospel music and brings more than 50 artists from churches in and around Soweto, South Africa, together on stages across the world. The Choir is known around the world with its powerful blend of African gospel, freedom songs and international classics.
Patrons can purchase virtual and in-person tickets online, by phone at (608) 265-2787 or in-person at the Memorial Union Box Office. Wisconsin Union members, guests under the age of 18, and University of Wisconsin–Madison students are eligible for discounted tickets.
“The Soweto Gospel Choir has been touring worldwide for almost 20 years. It brightens people’s lives with its artists’ talents and stories wherever it goes,” Wisconsin Union Theater Director Elizabeth Snodgrass said. “The spirit and energy its singing and dancing put into the world are infectious. People won’t be able to stay in their seats.”
The Wisconsin Union Theater presents this performance as part of its 2022-23 season, which also includes jazz, dance and classical music performances.
The Wisconsin Union Theater team presents the 2022-23 season in collaboration with the UW–Madison student-led Wisconsin Union Directorate (WUD) Performing Arts Committee. Ticket revenue and purchases from the Wisconsin Union Theater and the Wisconsin Union’s Memorial Union partly support WUD professional development experiences.
Patrons can click here to learn more about the Soweto Gospel Choir performance.
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About the Wisconsin Union Theater
For more than 80 years, the Wisconsin Union Theater has served as a center for cultural activity in the heart of the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus. The Theater hosts performances in multiple locations, including Memorial Union, and has an extensive history of remarkable performances. The Wisconsin Union Theater is committed to social justice and works to create an equitable, diverse, and inclusive place for all who engage with the Theater’s programming, events, and activities. The Wisconsin Union Theater is part of the Wisconsin Union, a membership organization that blends study and leisure to create unique out-of-classroom opportunities. Learn more: union.wisc.edu/wisconsin-union-theater.
About the Wisconsin Union Directorate Performing Arts Committee
The Wisconsin Union Directorate Performing Arts Committee is part of the Wisconsin Union’s leadership development program for UW–Madison students and supports the Wisconsin Union Theater’s mission of serving students through the performing arts. By helping to program the Theater’s annual season of performing arts presentations, the students learn about program curation, relationship-building, marketing, communications, budgeting, and production. Learn more: union.wisc.edu/get-involved/wud/performing-arts.
[Click here to download photos of the Soweto Gospel Choir. Photos by Lorenzo Di Nozzi.]
To read this release online, visit union.wisc.edu/about/news/soweto-gospel-choir.