And, of course, they sing together.
NCE, NU’s only gospel choir, will mark its 30th anniversary this Saturday with a free concert at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall. Members say the anniversary celebrates a history of perseverance, community and a shared love for God that has sustained the group since its founding.
“It gave me a family away from home,” said Aisha Bunton, an Education sophomore and NCE’s assistant director. “NCE was the rock that got me through my freshman year at Northwestern. It was my spiritual outlet as well as a release, somewhere I could go to see warm faces and get a hug if I needed it.”
Three students founded NCE in May 1971 to bring the black community together in a time of racial tension. Until 1974, when NCE gained university recognition, the group of 15 students from NU, Kendall College and National-Louis University relied on local churches for rehearsal and performance space.
“It’s a nice legacy to be part of,” said George Davis, a McCormick sophomore. “I just see a choir that has been through rough times and has been able to overcome them and exceed everyone’s expectations.”
The partnership between NCE and local churches remains – half of the choir’s engagements are at local Sunday services.
NCE, which has 40 members this year, still sings at Ebeneezer AME Church, where it rehearsed during its early years. And First Church of God Christian Life Center in Evanston cleans NCE’s robes and cooks for students.
“We try to work with them a lot,” said NCE director Rod Gray, a McCormick senior. “The local church community is a huge supporter. They help us in any way. We go there and sing for them, and they repay us with showing us family love and becoming an extension to our family.”
NCE puts on two concerts a year and has performed at special events, such as NU’s Sesquicentennial celebration and the Martin Luther King Jr. Day event at Pick-Staiger. NCE also travels to Atlanta every Thanksgiving for a national college gospel choir conference.
But while it’s known as a gospel choir, NCE’s repertoire includes spirituals, traditional hymns and jazz pieces. The choir’s diversity extends to its membership as well, said Erika Sanders, NCE’s president and an Education junior.
“Gospel music isn’t a black thing,” said Sanders, who translates the choir’s songs into sign language. “It’s for anyone that just agrees with the message.”
Members represent the Christian community even when they’re not performing, said member and former director Vernesha Williams.
To keep students focused on the meaning behind their songs, the weekly four-hour rehearsals at Alice Millar Chapel begin with Bible study and prayer led by a student chaplain.
“NCE stands out because not only do members preach the Word, but they walk the walk,” said Williams, a Speech senior. “You can see it in their individual lives. People on campus look to NCE members as spiritual role models. It’s not a burden to come to rehearsal. It’s a fellowship – these people are a part of my church family.”
And that family remains close even when students graduate. Former member Lynnette Galloway, McCormick ’98, said she and other alumni in the Chicago area get together frequently, continuing the sense of community started in NCE.
“You really get to know the people and understand where they are in their spiritual lives, and they enhance yours at the same time,” Galloway said.
The alumni network helped NCE find old members to invite to the anniversary concert, historian Terrenda White said.
After combing through 30 years of yearbooks and working with the alumni office, White said she relied on word of mouth to spread news of the anniversary.
About 100 alumni are expected to attend the concert, and some will sing in an alumni choir. Another resource was L. Stanley Davis, one of NCE’s founders who now teaches in the School of Music.
“L. Stanley Davis has a picture-perfect memory,” said White, an Education junior. “He can tell me a story about every member through 1977.”
Former member Angela Chandler said singing in the choir taught her about her faith beyond what she learned in church. Chandler, who was a soprano section leader and head chaplain, said seeing peers living out their faith was an inspiration to her.
“When people think gospel choir, they think entertainment,” said Chandler, Education ’92. “We thought ministry. It’s something we did for the Lord. It’s something we did because of our commitment and our faith in Jesus. That was the backbone of the choir, and that’s why the choir has lasted so long.”
