The Edward Waters University Concert Choir performed for Grade 9 and 10 students April 10 in McGehee Auditorium on the Bolles Upper School San Jose Campus, offering a musical journey through African American spirituals and their lasting influence on modern music.

Led by Maestro Jeremy McKinnies, the choir opened with “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” before moving into folk songs from South Africa and Ghana. These selections highlighted the tradition of musical call and response, a foundational element that reappeared throughout the program.

The ensemble then explored plantation songs, including “Wade in the Water,” inviting students to sing along and experience the emotional power and communal nature of the music. The performance progressed to Concert Spirituals, blending plantation songs with European hymn traditions in works such as “Walk Together Children” and “King Jesus Is a‑Listenin.” McKinnies also explained how many spirituals used coded language, blending religious themes with practical messages for enslaved people seeking freedom.

The program concluded with Emotional Spirituals, also known as sorrow songs, which evolved into the blues and later shaped genres such as jazz, gospel, soul, R&B and rock and roll. Following the performance, choir members met with Bolles Black Student Union members and shared lunch with upper school students in the Varn Board Room.

Thank you to Bolles Head of Upper School Moya Marks and Bolles Choral Director Dr. Julian Bryson for arranging the performance! #BollesSanJose