The Earl Nelson Singers

THE

EARL NELSON SINGERS

OF LANSING, MICHIGAN.

"...The Beauty and Dignity of the Negro Spiritual,
...Unaltered to Posterity!"

The Earl Nelson Singers Company is an integrated ensemble of singers from the Lansing, Michigan area, and are dedicated to collect and perform only those arrangements that tend to capture the original mood, style, and character of the sacred song of the slave. The group's repertoire also includes some songs representative of the early "gospel" style which typified the urbanized church songs of descendants of ex-slaves after the Civil War in America's history.

How did the Singers Company come about?
The Earl Nelson Singers Company was formed in 1963 by Mr. Earl Nelson, then a choral music teacher at C.W. Otto Middle School, Lansing, Michigan, and gave its first public concert in November of that year, dedicated to the memory of President John F. Kennedy, after his assassination. The Singers have continued to perform in the Mid-Michigan area since that fateful date in our history. The Ensemble, now under the direction of Mrs. Verna Holley, is made up of persons from varied occupations and educational levels, and each is asked to commit themselves to a standard of excellence to insure that this vast body of music never dies.

What is their purpose for singing principally the Spiritual?
Their collection continues to celebrate the uniquely original folk music of an enslaved people...torn from their homelands on the African continent, transported to the Americas', and required to adapt to new peoples, new environments, new languages, and new thought, ...thrust into the newly developing culture of the Americas'. The African harmonies and rhythms were combined with the stories of griots and poets and their understanding of Christianity into the religious and work songs called spirituals and hollers to produce the sacred song for their God, for each other, and for their offspring.

How could they sing the songs of Zion in a foreign land?... Yet they do!
...to illustrate the value of the song of the slave, in order to maintain continuity and shelter within their circles, and to foster courage and strength of will in transmitting their adaptive cultures and heritage to their young in the midst of depressive hostility and anguish until their new day would dawn.

When do they practice, and how often?
The Earl Nelson Singers rehearses each Monday evening during the school-year at the J.W. Sexton High School, 102 W. McPherson Street, Lansing, Michigan. The Singers Ensemble performs concets for churches, and social and civic organizations in the Mid-Michigan area during each year.
Persons interested in arranging concert dates, auditioning as a singer, or in assisting in the financial support of the ensemble's efforts are invited to inquire at the phone number listed below.

The Earl Nelson Singers Company
2700 Greenbriar, Lansing, MI 48912
(517) 882-1293
earlnelsonsingers@gmail.com