ATLANTA, Dec. 1, 1998 – “Joy to the World,” “Go Tell It On the Mountain” and “O Come All Ye Faithful” are among the Christmas carols, spirituals and African folk songs that will be performed by the mighty harmonic voices of the Morehouse and Spelman College Glee Clubs during “The 72nd Annual Morehouse/Spelman Christmas Carol Concert.” The historic event, which features more than 100 student vocalists, will begin Friday, December 4, with a performance beginning at 8 p.m. each day until Sunday, December 6. The event will be held in the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel at Morehouse on Friday and Sunday, and at Spelman College’s Sisters Chapel on Saturday.

“It’s an event that draws the Atlanta community and people from out of state,” said Jea P. Street, a senior at Morehouse, who has performed in the concert for the past four years. “The concert is free, so it is a sort of Christmas gift from us to the community.” Last year’s performance attracted over 6,000 people.

Although the concert began as an annual performance featuring the Spelman College Glee Club, Morehouse’s Glee Club joined the event in 1926, which has continued for nearly three-quarters of a century as a Christmas tradition in Atlanta that kicks-off the holiday season.

“We put our all into it, because this is the one time that Morehouse and Spelman get a chance to perform together,” said Street.

The choral performance has appeared on national television for the past three years – airing on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) – and has been recognized across the nation as the foremost Christmas performance in Atlanta.

Under the direction of Dr. David Morrow, a 1980 graduate of the College and former Glee Club member, the deep baritone voices of the men of Morehouse College combined with the angelic soprano tones of the Spelman women, who are directed by Dr. Norma Raybon, come together to provide an excellent oral depiction of the true meaning of Christmas and the birth of Jesus Christ.

The performance is free and open to the public. For additional information on the event please contact Dr. Morrow at (404) 215-2601.

Founded in 1867, Morehouse is the nation’s only historically black, private liberal arts college for men. The College enrolls approximately 3,000 students and graduates 500 each year, conferring bachelor’s degrees on more black men than any other institution in the country. Prominent alumni include Martin Luther King Jr., Nobel Peace Prize laureate and civil rights leader; Samuel L. Jackson, Academy Award nominee and motion picture actor; Shelton “Spike” Lee, filmmaker and president of 40 Acres and a Mule; and Nima A. Warfield, the first African-American Rhodes Scholar from a historically black college or university.