Filed under: History
Ella Sheppard Moore is the heroine of Sing and Never Tire. She is based upon a historical figure of the same name.
“Ella Sheppard, soprano, pianist and reformer, was the matriarch of the Fisk Jubilee Singers, a social reformer, confidante of Frederick Douglass, and one of the most distinguished African American women of her generation,” reads a bio of Ella from BlackPast.org.
On the American Experience site the authors note that she was ”Admired for her musical talent, her quiet, confident style of leadership, and her commitment to the singers’ evangelical mission.”
To read a complete bio of Ella Sheppard Moore click here or here.
To see an interview with Alona Sistrunk, who will be playing Ella Sheppard in Sing and Never Tire, click here.
Filed under: History
Sing and Never Tire is inspired by the true story of the Fisk Jubilee Singers who sang throughout the 1870s, helping to secure the future, not only of Fisk University, but also of the African American Spiritual — a form of music that might have otherwise vanished along with the dark tradition of slavery in which it was born.
The PBS Documentary Jubilee Singers: Sacrifice and Glory aired on American Experience a few years ago. Their website has great resources to learn more about the history of the group, including a timeline, and profiles of key people.
The Fisk Jubilee Singers continue to perform around the world. In 2007 they traveled to Ghana to give a historic performance in an African slave prison. They will be performing in Washington, DC at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage on April 22nd and 23rd, 2010.
