Gospel Choir Collection

The Elon University Gospel Choir was founded in 1977 by a group of African-American students searching to establish a fellowship in which to praise God through song - specifically Gospel Music as Elon College already possessed a musical choir for hymnals and the like. For many of its earlier years, the Choir would perform locally, either on campus or in nearby churches and parishes that members attended or knew of, communicating through writing as to the organization of these events. As the Choir grew, so did its budget from the Student Government Association. With a larger budget, this provided the Choir with increased opportunities to travel further abroad to spread their message of faith and song. They booked venues and churches across the state of North Carolina, expanding into Virginia and the Washington, D.C. area, and eventually into the rest of the South. The Choir event traveled to places such as Jamaica, the Bahamas, and Liberia. In its origins the Choir was predominantly, if not exclusively, composed of African-American students. During the 1989-1990 academic school year, a Caucasian student became a member of the Gospel Choir. The enduring character of Gospel music as a historically Black American genre is demonstrated by the kinds of venues that the Choir would perform at, such as Martin Luther King Day commemorative services at Elon. Direct references to the organization being "Afro centric" in its advertising and the focus on a national play about famous black Gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, cement this understanding of the Choir. The demographics change arrived of course during a period of modernization, not only for the college but for the world, the archival collection reflecting the shift from type-written letters to computer-printed ones, and later on to printouts of emails. Nevertheless, the Choir continued carrying its traditional elements: the performance of the annual Fall and Spring concerts, the annual "Gospel Extravaganza" featuring other choirs from nearby universities and colleges, its charitable contributions to individuals and organizations alike. The Choir changed its name to the Elon University Gospel Choir (the University adopting this status in 2001), but its fundamental purpose remained the same, and still does. That is, it is committed to praising God through faith and song.