Fisk choir offers uplifting concert for church's 101st anniversary – Evanston RoundTable
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The Fisk University Choir moved the crowd with rhythm, spirit and song at a Friday night Evanston concert celebrating the 101st anniversary of Sherman United Methodist Church, 2214 Ridge Ave.
Grace Smith, a junior at the university in Nashville, Tennessee, said she always appreciates the warm reception from the church every year the choir performs, and feels blessed to be part of such a rich history and tradition.
“It’s just great to be here,” the music education major said after the concert. “It always feels like family when we come to Chicago. There’s such a big welcome. Everybody always takes care of us.”
Smith, who uplifted the audience by singing Everything Must Change during her solo performance, said she first heard the song in 2017 during a Drum Corps International competition.
“I fell in love with the song, first because of the musical harmonies,” Smith said. “When I first heard it, it brought me to tears because I was going through such a hard time in my life at the time, and I’ve just listened to it continuously since then.”
Smith said she learned the song and has been studying it since last year with her voice professor at Fisk.
“Every time I sing it,” she said after letting out a deep sigh, “it’s a lot.”
When Smith sang Everything Must Change a few weeks ago during her performance seminar class, she said it was particularly hard for her emotionally as she was grieving the loss of a few loved ones.
“And so there was just a lot of … I wouldn’t say … pain, but also, it was more … like, ‘Yes, everything is changing,’ but it was a good reminder that God is always going to be the same,” she said. “And he’ll always carry me through.”
Sherman UMC’s longstanding relationship with the choir began in 2006 when the church agreed to provide a meal after one of the choir’s concert performances near Evanston. The church has hosted its annual Fisk University Choir concert 15 times, with some interruptions due to COVID, and plans to do so every year going forward. Due to capacity, however, Friday’s concert was held at the new Second Church of Christ, Scientist Event Center, 2715 Hurd Ave.
This year Sherman UMC’s annual choir concert raised more than $20,000 in donations, which will go toward scholarships for Fisk students.
Venita E. Fields, who served as chair of the first Fisk choir concert, said the collaboration with Fisk not only serves as way to give back to students, but has turned into an event that commemorates the church’s anniversary as well. The church notes on its website that “it traces its roots back to a small group meeting in the home of Mrs. Lula B. Sherman in 1922.”
Fields, a recipient of one of the church’s inaugural Isibani Awards, talked about the importance of supporting historically Black colleges and universities.
“I like to brag about the fact that we were supporting HBCUs before it was cool and hip to do so,” Fields said during an interview before the concert. “And we’re very proud of that fact.”
The Rev. Aaron J. McLeod, Sherman UMC’s new pastor, said he embraces Black liberation theology, much like James H. Cone, founder and original advocate of the movement.
“We are embracing the role of the Old Testament prophet,” said McLeod, who is also an attorney. “People would tease and say, ‘How could you be a lawyer and a preacher? One is supposed to tell a lie, and the other one is supposed to be truthful.’
“But the true calling of a preacher as well as an attorney is to be an advocate. And so, I look at the lens of scripture from a liberating lens whereby we should be able to see the providence of God through scripture to fight the fight of justice, to be emboldened and courageous, to do what is right.”
After intermission, master of ceremonies Traci S. Campbell announced the Isibani Award winners. The award, named after the Zulu word for “beacon” or “lamp,” is meant to highlight and “honor those that have made extraordinary contributions to our community and culture.”
Fields received an award named for her, the Venita E. Fields Business Leadership Award.
Other recipients are as follows:
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Carlos D. Williamson is a reporter and Racial Justice Fellow for the Evanston RoundTable. He earned a master’s degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and received a Fulbright… More by Carlos D. Williamson
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