Saturday, October 25, 2014, 8:00 p.m.
Presented by Mr. John Russell
Welcomed by Dr. & Mrs. Anthony Fathman
Cathedral Concerts is proud to present, direct from Dakar Senegal, the Senegal St. Joseph Gospel Choir. Founded in 1950 by the United Nations’ Ambassador Artist for Peace, Mr. Julian Jouga (1931-2001), the choir is now directed by Mr. Ambroise N’Diong. The company is made up of 15 singers and 4 traditional Senegalese drummers.
Hailing from the heart of Dakar’s most working-class neighborhood, the choir interprets Gospel/Negro Spirituals, traditional African Songs, and the magnificent masses of Mr. Jouga composed in his country’s four national languages of Oulof, Diola, Sérère, and Portuguese Creole. Experience them in the very special concert performance in the heavenly setting of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis.
Program (subject to change):
- 1) FALA LA – Traditional song to begin the concert
- 2) YOU BETTER MIND – Traditional gospel song
- 3) THE STORM IS PASSING OVER – Traditional gospel song
- 4) PERCUSSION SORUBA
- 5) SIMIÉNO – Praises of Mary the Blessed Virgin in the Serere language, composed by Mr Julien Jouga
- 6) BANDIA – Song in the Bambara language, arranged by Mr. Julien Jouga
- 7) TA VUETA – Song about the act of Grace
- 8) REQUIEM LATINO-WOLOF – Adaptation of Mozart’s Requiem in the Wolof language
- 9) JAM – Song in the Wolof language, the national language of the Senegalese Wolof, for peace in Senegal and in the world
- 10) PERCUSSION SABAR
INTERMISSION
- 1) PERCUSSION SORUBA
- 2) KYRIE – From a Mass composed by Mr. Julien Jouga, founder of the Choir
- 3) GLORIA – From a Mass composed in Portuguese Creole by Mr. Julien Jouga
- 4) KU KERTIEN – Christmas song in the Diola language of southern Senegal
- 5) WALAY – Wolof song for blind men begging for alms
- 6) ELÉ WAY WAY – Song to give young women strength and courage during the traditional tattoo ceremony
- 7) COUMPO – Popular song in the Diola language, used to cast out bad spirits
- 8) MARENAL – Traditional gospel
- 9) TERRA SABI – Creole song sung during the winter ploughing in order to encourage farmers
- 10) DIOT NIAM – Traditional Serere, a Senegalese ethnicity