>> CATHY: THE CHORAL GROUP VOCAL ESSENCE IS HIGHLIGHTING BLACK COMPOSERS IN A CONCERT THIS SUNDAY TITLED "WITNESS: SYMPHONY OF SPIRITUALS."

THE BLACK HISTORY MONTH TRADITION DATES BACK MORE THAN THREE DECADES AND WILL FEATURE BOTH TRADITIONAL SPIRITUALS AND CONTEMPORARY MUSIC.

HERE TO TELL US MORE, ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR G. PHILLIP SHOULTZ.

IT IS SO GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

>> YEAH, YOU TOO, CATHY, IT'S BEEN A WHILE.

>> Cathy: I KNOW, RIGHT, EXACTLY.

37 YEARS?

>> UM-HUM.

>> Cathy: OH, MY OODNESS.

>> YEAH.

>> Cathy: TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SPIRITUALS, TOO, BECAUSE THEY, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, ARE THE BACKGROUND FOR A LOT OF, OR I SHOULD SAY KIND OF LIKE THE BASIS FOR A LOT OF INFLUENCE AND SOME OTHER GENRES OF MUSIC.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

SO I CALL IT THE FOUNDATIONAL SOUL OF AMERICAN MUSIC THERE, THEY'RE THE ROOT TESTIMONY SYSTEM, YOU KNOW -- ROOT SYSTEM, COUNTRY, BLUES, APPALACHIAN, FOLK MUSIC THERE, ROCK, ANYTHING, HAS ITS ROOTS IN THE NEGRO SPIRITUAL AND WE USE THAT TERM INTENTIONALLY TO KIND OF RECLAIM THAT MONIKER THAT WAS USED AGAINST OUR PEOPLE.

BUT THEY WEREN'T SEEN AS AMERICANS, THEY CREATED THIS BEAUTIFUL MUSIC THAT JUST GIVES US HEARTACHE, RIGHT, LAMENT, BUT ALSO HOPE FOR A BETTER DAY.

SO WE'RE EXCITED TO SHARE THIS PROGRAM WITH EVERYONE.

>> Cathy: THEY'RE SO BEAUTIFUL TO THE SPIRITUALS, YOU ALSO HAVE SOME NEW MUSIC.

>> YEAH, SO ASICALLY A LOT OF THE SPIRITUALS HAVE BEEN RECONSTRUCTED.

AND PUT TOGETHER WITH A SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA SO THAT YOU HAVE ECHOES OF GOSPEL IN THERE, LITTLE MOMENTS OF JAZZ IN THERE AS WELL.

BUT THERE'S STILL AT THE CORE OF THEM THEEs THESE EGRO SPIRITUALS AT THE CORE OF EVERYTHING WE'RE SINGING.

>> Cathy: WHAT IS THE JUSTICE MEDLEY.

>> WHO IS HERE WITH THE MINNESOTA ORCHESTRA NO NOT TOO MANY YEARS AGO, THEY COMMISSIONED HIM TO WRITE A PIECE, HE PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER, IN RESPONSE TO GEORGE FLOYD'S MURDER, PUT ALL THE FREEDOM SONG TOGETHER, WE SHALL OVERCOME, LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING, OH, FREEDOM OVER ME, WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED, AND HE PUT THEM TOGETHER IN A SYMPHONIC WAY, WHEREAS, IF YOU TOOK THE WORDS WAY IT WOULD SOUND LOO BEING A ORCHESTRA PLAYING BUT IF YOU KNOW THE WORDS YOU KNOW THE WORDS YO YOU CAN YOU COULD SING ALONG WITH IT.

>> YOU'RE DEALING WITH 200 SINGERS, ON ARC CENTRAL.

THAT'S A LOT OF PRESSURE.

>> IT'S FUN.

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL THING TO HAVE 230 SINGERS, FOUR DIFFERENT CHOIRS, SOME OF OUR ELDERS FROM VINTAGE VOICES AND THEN THESE FOLKS ARE PART OF OUR CHORUS, 120 MEMBERS, OUR PROFESSIONAL ENSEMBLE SINGERS, PLUS 40 PROFESSIONAL INSTRUMENTISTS ON STAGE, IT'S EXHILERATING, IT'S LIKE DRIVING A LAMB GORE BEGIN KNEE FOR -- LAMBORGHINI FOR AN HOUR.

>> IT'S SUNDAY, 4:00 P.M., NORTHROP AUDITORIUM.

WHAT DO WE GET TO HEAR TONIGHT?

WE'RE GOING TO SHARE SOMETHING THAT HAS A FOLK SONG AND THOSE SPIRITUAL, "THIS TRAIN IS BOUND FOR GLORY."

>> Cathy: ALL RIGHT, VOCAL ESSENCE.

♪ THIS TRAIN, THIS TRAIN, THIS TRAIN, THIS TRAIN ♪ ♪ THIS TRAIN, THIS TRAIN, THIS TRAIN, THIS TRAIN ♪ ♪ THIS TRAIN, THIS TRAIN, THIS TRAIN, THIS TRAIN ♪ ♪ THIS TRAIN IS BOUND FOR GLORY, THIS TRAIN ♪ ♪ THIS TRAIN IS BOUND FOR GLORY, THIS TRAIN ♪ ♪ THIS TRAIN IS BOUND FOR GLORY, DON'T CARRY NOTHIN' BUT THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE HOLY ♪ ♪ THIS TRAIN IS BOUND FOR GLORY, THIS TRAIN ♪ ♪ THIS TRAIN, THIS TRAIN, THIS TRAIN, THIS TRAIN ♪ ♪ THIS TRAIN ♪ ♪ THIS TRAIN, THIS TRAIN, THIS TRAIN, THIS TRAIN ♪ ♪ THIS TRAIN, THIS TRAIN, THIS TRAIN, THIS TRAIN, THIS TRAIN ♪ THIS TRAIN IS ♪ ♪ THERE IS JOY IN THAT LAND, THERE IS JOY IN THAT LAND, THERE IS JOY IN THAT LAND WHERE I'M BOUND, YES, WHERE I'M BOUND ♪ ♪ THERE IS JOY IN THAT LAND, THERE IS JOY IN THAT LAND ♪ ♪ YES, THERE IS JOY IN THAT LAND WHERE I'M BOUND ♪ ♪ I'M GLORY BOUND ♪ ♪ THIS TRAIN, THIS TRAIN, THIS TRAIN, THIS TRAIN ♪ ♪ THIS TRAIN, THIS TRAIN, THIS TRAIN, THIS RAIN ♪ ♪ THIS TRAIN, THIS TRAIN, THIS TRAIN, THIS TRAIN ♪ ♪ THERE IS PEACE IN THE VALLEY ♪ THIS RAIN IS BOUND FOR GLORY ♪ ♪ THIS TRAIN IS BOUND FOR GLORY, THIS TRAIN ♪ ♪ THERE IS PEACE ♪ ♪ THIS TRAIN IS BOUND FOR GLORY ♪ ♪ THERE IS EACE ♪ ♪ THIS TRAIN IS BOUND FOR GLORY THIS TRAIN ♪ ♪ GLORY BOUND ♪ ♪ THIS TRAIN IS BOUND FOR GLORY ♪ ♪ THIS TRAIN IS BOUND FOR GLORY ♪ ♪ THIS TRAIN IS BOUND FOR GLORY ♪ ♪ THIS TRAIN ♪