See and hear today's generation of the Fisk Jubilee Singers online at the Kennedy Center's Millenium Stage website HERE.

This is a good opportunity to catch how the tunes might go, but as it is a choral performance, many of the words are unclear and text sources will be better for getting a lyric. Determining "the" melody will be difficult from this concert alone. Since it is the nature of the genre that tune and lyric are so fluid, one can easily fashion one's own version, however! :~)

The songs are announced/introduced in groups, with choral arrangers and featured singers credited. Times below are approximate. Due to sound problems, the concert does not start immediately.

01:20 Introduction (about the Fisk Jubilee Singers)
2:00 Introduction of first group of songs
02:40 Rock in Jerusalem
05:00 Lord I'm Out Here On Your Word (if I die on the battlefield)
09:10 There Is a Balm in Gilead

13:35 Introduction of second group of songs
14:10 Poor Man Lazarus
16:05 Nobody Knows the Trouble I See
19:15 Run, Mourner, Run

21:18 Introduction of third group of songs
21:40 Soon I Will Be Done
24:40 I'm Gonna Sing Till the Spirit Moves (in my heart)
27:10 Were You There? (when they crucified my Lord)

30:25 Introduction of fourth group of songs
31:10 Wade in the Water
35:00 Gonna Journey Away (some mornin') (to God)
37:38 Daniel, Daniel, Servant of the Lord (o the king cried)

39:50 Introduction of fifth group of songs
40:24 Down by the Riverside
42:35 I Been in the Storm (so long, give me a little time to pray)
45:22 He's Got the Whole World (in His hand)

49:07 Introduction of sixth group of songs and additional credits
51:23 Ride On Jesus (ride on King Jesus) (I want to go to heaven in the morning)
53:48 I Got a Home In-a That Rock

Rats! No encore!


I hear the "truest" aspects of their performance in the soloists. I love them, and I am grateful that they preserved so many songs. But I also am sad that in order to promote the songs to the public (white $$), they had to start or participate in the process of sanitizing, choral arranging, and operatic singing of the whole genre.

~Susan