NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Fisk University will celebrate the 139th anniversary of the Fisk Jubilee Singers Wednesday during the 2010 Jubilee Day Celebration in Nashville.
Jubilee Day commemorates the day in 1871 that the Jubilee Singers began their historic, inaugural tour to raise funds for the university.
The group’s earnings paid for the construction of Jubilee Hall, the first permanent building in the country erected for the education of Blacks. The singers also contributed tour earnings to the Great Chicago Fire victims in 1871 and were invited to perform at the White House by President Ulysses S. Grant in 1872. In 1873, the group performed for the crowned heads of Europe, including Queen Victoria.
The singers are known for their a cappella performances of Negro spirituals.
