How The Jubilee Singers Saved Fisk

Give Me Wings: How a Choir of Former Slaves Took on the World by Kathy Lowinger is a beautiful, informative, and inspiring book for readers ages 11 to 14.

Lowinger presents the story of Ella Sheppard who was born a slave. Ella's father bought her freedom, but her mother was considered 'indispensable' and was not for sale. Her father struggled to provide for the family but managed to give Ella a piano and music lessons. She yearned for an education and applied to and was accepted to the Fisk Free Colored School.

The school was on the verge of bankruptcy.

Then came the idea of concerts to raise money. Ella led the school choir, consisting of mostly former slaves, in performing Esther, the Beautiful Queen. Audiences were not impressed and donations were scanty. People expected a minstrel show!

One day Ella had the choir sing Steal Away and discovered that audiences were moved by the slave songs which the freed blacks wanted to leave behind in the past.

Changing their repertoire to Spirituals and finding a promoter in Henry Ward Beecher the choir's success as The Jubliee Singers took them to meet the Queen of England and earned Frisk $20,000. The school was saved. Today Fisk University lists among its graduates W.E.B DuBois, Ida B. Wells, Nikki Giovanni and the Honorable John R. Lewis.

Moving stories illustrate the prejudice the Jubilee Singers had to contend with. When they were introduced by General Fisk himself he noted the singer's values before emancipation and commented that after the audience heard their voices they would agree they were vastly undervalued. In England their introduction warned the audience not to expect sophisticated artistry. After the concert a lady from the audience told Ella that if that wasn't artistry, she didn't know what was.

This book includes side bar stories on slavery and historical background to the story. I suggest that the descriptions of slavery may be upsetting to early elementary readers. At any age, it is upsetting to read about! A timeline is included and further reading suggestions. We learned what happens in the people's later lives. Full color illustrations appear on nearly every page.

I was very impressed with this beautiful book.

I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for  fair and unbiased review.

Give Me Wings: How a Choir of Former Slaves Took On The World
Kathy Lowinger
Annick Press
Publication August 18, 2015
$21.95 hard cover
ISBN: 13:9781554517473
ePub: 13: 9781554517480
PDF: 13: 9781554517497

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I wrote about Lucy McKim Garrison who collected and published the first slave songs here.
And the The Book of American Negro Spirituals here.