Eight years after the abolition of slavery in the US, a choir of 11 African American singers, virtually all of whom had been born into bondage, arrived in London. Hoping to boost cash for a brand new faculty in Nashville, Tennessee, the Fisk Jubilee Singers undertook a gruelling 13-month tour throughout the size and breadth of Britain. They had been a sensation, counting Queen Victoria and William Gladstone amongst their many admirers. By introducing audiences to ‘spirituals’ or ‘sorrow songs’, the group introduced firsthand testimony of immeasurable struggling, religion and resilience throughout the Atlantic.
