- This event has passed.
Soweto Gospel Choir’s “Songs of the Free”
November 14, 2018 @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
$20Type: Music
This Event: May be of interest to the LGBTQ community
Overture Center for the Arts will present SOWETO GOSPEL CHOIR on Wednesday, Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m. in Overture Hall as part of their Songs of the Free tour in honor of Nelson Mandela’s 100thbirthday. This celebrated choir brings joy and jubilation across the US, bringing audiences to their feet.
The performance features a free pre-show concert with the Fall Gospel Fest Choir from 6-7 p.m. in the center’s Overture Hall Lobby, open to both ticketholders and the public. Tickets to SOWETO GOSPEL CHOIR are available at the Overture Center Ticket Office (201 State Street), by phone (608.258.4141) or online (overture.org). Groups of 10+ may be eligible for discounted tickets; for information, please call 608.258.4159.
The two-time Grammy Award-winning SOWETO GOSPEL CHOIR has been spreading sheer joy to audiences across the globe for nearly two decades! Comprised of 20 of the best artists in South Africa, the choir invites you to enjoy the incomparable and inspirational power of African Gospel music. These uplifting performers have shared the stage with some of the biggest names in music including U2, the late Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Robert Plant, Celine Dion, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Josh Groban. For the first half of this concert, the choir will perform “Songs of the Free,” a rousing program celebrating the centenary of the birth of the father of their Rainbow Nation, Nelson Mandela. Following that, the performers will share international gospel classics including their hair-raising take on Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” Just try to stay in your seat!
“The SOWETO GOSPEL CHOIR members are thrilled to return to the US for this American tour,” producer Andrew Kay said. “The group continues to inspire fans worldwide, but the reaction we get from audiences in the States is unforgettable. We hope that our uplifting message of hope, faith, and joy reaches audiences new and old on this special return visit as we celebrate the legacy of the great Nelson Mandela.”
Filling the stage with vibrant costumes, incredible vocals and uplifting songs, SOWETO GOSPEL CHOIR is 90 minutes of indisputable bliss, leaving audience exhilarated as they dance out the aisles. The dynamic choir performs both traditional and contemporary music, adding its unique feel and interpretation to both. The choir performs in six of South Africa’s eleven official languages with rich harmonies, earthy rhythms, a lively four-piece band and percussion section.
Along with their traditional South African anthems, the choir will perform their famous renditions of “Amazing Grace,” “Hallelujah,” and “Freedom Songs Medley.”
“Absolutely thrilling singers…dazzling music.” – Billboard
SOWETO GOSPEL CHOIR is part of the Overture Presents Series and is sponsored by The Burish Group – UBS Financial Services, Inc., with support from the Arts Midwest Touring Fund, a program of Arts Midwest that is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts with additional contributions from Wisconsin Arts Board, the Crane Group and General Mills Foundation.
For more information, please visit www.sowetogospelchoir.com.
OVERTURE CENTER FOR THE ARTS in Madison, Wis., features seven state-of-the-art performance spaces and five galleries where national and international touring artists, ten resident companies and hundreds of local artists engage people in nearly 600,000 educational and artistic experiences each year. Overture.org
