Spelman College, Morehouse College To Present 97th Annual Christmas Carol Concert This Weekend

Spelman College and Morehouse College will present the 97^th Annual Christmas Carol Concert, a continuation of the institutions’ holiday tradition providing an evening filled with song and festive cheer.

Provided at no cost to the public, the three-night concert event will begin on Dec. 1 at 7:30 p.m. at Morehouse College’s Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel. The concert will continue at Spelman College’s Sisters Chapel on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 7:30 p.m. and culminate in a final performance at Morehouse on Sunday, Dec. 3 at 6 p.m. The doors will open one hour before each event. The concerts will be accessible via livestream through both institutions’ YouTube channels.  

“This year‘s Christmas Carol Concert is special because it is a part of the Glee Club’s Road to 100 year – a year of planning and preparing to celebrate our 100th anniversary,” said Kevin Johnson, director of the Spelman College Glee Club. “Follow us on social media and get excited with us. This year’s concert is gonna be awesome!”

The Christmas Carol Concert is historically the start of the holiday season for the Atlanta community through celebration and song. Both Glee Clubs will perform an array of traditional carols and contemporary-style interpretations of various holiday music to set the spirit of the season.

“The Morehouse College Glee Club is excited to continue the Christmas Carol Concert in its 97th year as we know many people begin their Christmas celebrations with us,” said David Morrow, director of the Morehouse College Glee Club. “We will sing some old favorites like ‘Mary Had a Baby’ and the beloved ‘Betelehemu’ along with a few surprises as well. There is something in this concert that everyone will enjoy!” 

Established in December 1927, the concert concept stemmed from the two Colleges’ presidents at the time – Spelman’s Florence Matilda Read and Morehouse’s John Hope. The first concert was held in Spelman’s Sisters Chapel and has since grown with its audience into a three-night event, usually held in person, at Morehouse’s Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel to usher in the holiday season.