Fisk University- Jubilee Quartet
The first Jubilee Quartet group was founded in 1871 at Fisk University. Fisk University is a private historically black university, located in Nashville, TN. John Wesley Work II, George Walker, R. Nathanial Dett, and V.A. Smith all made up the first jubilee singers. These people played a pivotal role in introducing African American spirituals to a broader audience. Not only did this group just sing for concerts but they also sang for African Americans, serving as a cultural ambassador. The Jubilee Quartet stayed in formal clothes to reflect their seriousness about singing. They had to do this because white people often down played African Americans’ well doings especially in the entertainment industry.
What Is Jubilee Quartet?
Jubilee quartet was a genre made by African Americans, filled with: texture, Dynamics, lyrics, influences, and harmony. There are three different versions of Jubilee Quartet. The three different versions are jubilee, developmental, and the gospel period. Jubilee started in 1871 and goes to span 150 years including all of the other eras of quartet singing. Jubilee Quartet gave an impact on numerous genres throughout music.
