(bright music) - [Announcer] This week on Expressions, we present a special program featuring the Dorothy Cotton Jubilee Singers.

(bright orchestral music) (choir sings indistinctly) With performances filmed at both Ithaca College and at the AME's Zion Church that was part of the Underground Railroad ♪ Hold my hand ♪ - [Announcer] Coming up next on Expressions.

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- [Announcer] And with support by viewers like you.

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And now your host, Adara Alston.

- Hello and welcome to Expressions, the Art and Soul of the Southern Tier.

In this episode, we are proud to present a special performance from the Dorothy Cotton Jubilee Singers.

This group has inspired audiences for over a decade with their heartfelt renditions of spiritual and gospel music.

They're named after civil rights pioneer Dorothy Cotton, who, among her many accomplishments, was a key figure in the citizenship education program, which helped register thousands of people in the Black community to vote in the 1960s.

I talked to the Jubilee Singers' founder and director, Dr. Baruch Whitehead, about why it is important to honor Dorothy Cotton as the group's namesake.

- Dorothy was in the inner circle of Dr. King.

She was one of his most trusted advisors.

And for a woman back then that was saying a big deal.

So she would always tell me, "I worked with Dr. King.

I did not work for him."

She was there, a very prominent figure of the Civil Rights movement.

Initially, the group was called the Ithaca Jubilee Singers.

And so one day, I was driving along and I was listening to the interview with Dorothy Cotton and she was talking about the music and the Civil Rights movement.

I was so enthralled with the program.

I must meet this person.

And we became friends.

And she talked about the music and how music was not the soundtrack to the Civil Rights Movement, but it was the Civil Rights Movement.

And Dorothy received a National Freedom Award.

And then we presented a proclamation and we changed the name of the group to the Dorothy Cotton Jubilee Singers.

And she was just ecstatic that people thought enough of her to keep her legacy alive through music.

(gentle orchestral music) ♪ Lord, I will lift ♪ ♪ My eyes to the hills ♪ ♪ Knowing my help ♪ ♪ Is coming from You ♪ ♪ Your peace, You give me ♪ ♪ In time of the storm ♪ ♪ You are the source of my strength ♪ ♪ You are the strength of my life ♪ ♪ I lift my hands in total praise to You ♪ ♪ Lord, I will lift ♪ ♪ My eyes to the hills ♪ ♪ Knowing my help ♪ ♪ Is coming from You ♪ ♪ Your peace, You give me ♪ ♪ In time of the storm ♪ ♪ You are the source of my strength ♪ ♪ You are the strength of my life ♪ ♪ I lift my hands in total praise to You ♪ ♪ Amen, Amen ♪ ♪ Amen, Amen ♪ ♪ Amen, Amen ♪ ♪ Amen, Amen ♪ (audience applauds) - My hope is when people leave our concerts that they feel uplifted, that they feel like they have not just come to a concert to just listen to people sing music, but that the words and the stories and the deliberation of the songs, they feel happy that there's something through the songs that they heard, some message that they connected to.

You only need to be open to receive that.

And sometimes I tell my student, they say, "I just start crying and I didn't know why."

And I said, "You know, that was just the Spirit of God.

Enjoy it."

♪ Lord, I'm out here on your Word ♪ ♪ Lord, I'm out here on your Word ♪ ♪ If I die on the battlefield ♪ ♪ Lord, I'm out here on your Word ♪ ♪ Glad I got my religion in time ♪ ♪ Glad I got my religion in time ♪ ♪ If I die on the battlefield ♪ ♪ Well I got my religion in time ♪ ♪ We soon shall reach (indistinct) ♪ ♪ Oh how we then shall sing ♪ ♪ With all our family (indistinct) ♪ ♪ We'll make our (indistinct) ♪ ♪ Will shout all of our sorrows ♪ ♪ And sing forevermore ♪ ♪ With Christ and all his glory ♪ ♪ (indistinct) rest your shore ♪ ♪ Lord, I'm out here on your Word ♪ ♪ Lord, I'm out here on your Word ♪ ♪ If I die on the battlefield ♪ ♪ Lord, I'm out here on your Word ♪ ♪ Glad I got my religion in time ♪ ♪ Glad I got my religion in time ♪ ♪ If I die on the battlefield ♪ ♪ Well I got my religion in time ♪ ♪ We're raise to reach the battlefield ♪ ♪ Oh (indistinct) battlefield ♪ ♪ Repentance and salvation ♪ ♪ Battlefield ♪ ♪ Are written very ♪ ♪ Battlefield ♪ ♪ I've been listed and I'm interfiled ♪ ♪ Till every foe is turned to flight ♪ ♪ Oh I may further bless his name ♪ ♪ I trust in God and rise again ♪ ♪ Glad I got my religion in time ♪ ♪ Glad I got my religion in time ♪ ♪ If I die on the battlefield ♪ ♪ Well I got my religion in time ♪ ♪ Lord, I'm out here on your Word ♪ ♪ Lord, I'm out here on your Word ♪ ♪ If I die on the battlefield ♪ ♪ Lord, I'm out here on your ♪ ♪ Battlefield ♪ ♪ Battlefield ♪ (audience applauds) - [Paula] The Jubilee Singers, what's the connection to the AME Zion Church?

- [Baruch] It's a very historical site.

It's kind of like holy ground, if you will, that when we go there, there's something in that space that really pulls you into the historical things that happened there.

- The reason why it's such a beautiful space is that it plays a role not in, not only in the history of Ithaca, but in the history of African American life and how it has evolved from the days of the abolitionists activity, which included great figures, like Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass.

They were in this space.

This was a stop along the Underground Railroad.

It was also a space later on in the Civil Rights Movement.

And so for the Dorothy Cotton Jubilee Singers to be able to sing here and also represent the legacy of our beloved Dorothy Cotton, it just makes it ever so special.

♪ One of these mornings ♪ ♪ Won't be very long ♪ ♪ You'll look for me ♪ ♪ And I'll be gone ♪ ♪ I'm going to a place ♪ ♪ Where there'll be nothing, nothing to do ♪ ♪ But just walk around, walk around Heaven all day ♪ ♪ When I get to Heaven, I'm gonna jump and shout ♪ ♪ Nobody will be able to put me out ♪ ♪ My mother, she'll be waiting ♪ ♪ And my daughter, my daughter will be too ♪ ♪ We'll just walk around, walk around Heaven all day ♪ ♪ Lord above all, don't You hear, hear me praying' ♪ ♪ Walk right by my side ♪ ♪ Hold my hand when my way gets so cloudy ♪ ♪ I need You for my guide ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ Everyday will be Sunday ♪ ♪ Sabbath will have no end ♪ ♪ We'll do nothing but sing ♪ ♪ And pray ♪ ♪ And when my Master says, "Well done" ♪ ♪ I know my race, my race is one ♪ ♪ We'll just walk around walk around Heaven all day ♪ - [Person] Amen!

(audience applauds) - [Adara] Can you talk about some locations that the Dorothy Cotton Singers have performed at in the past?

- We've started off with churches downtown and now we're at Ithaca College exclusively, in Fort Hall.

We've sung in Canada, in Toronto, Boston, New York City, where we sung at Carnegie Hall, which was a really a big deal for us.

And we went there.

We spent a few days in New York City with the music and it was just, it was really life changing.

I think for most of us.

Carnegie Hall, I had never been there and once we stepped on stage, felt like I was entering the land of Canaan or someplace.

It was just so beautiful and the history of the place, we felt very honored to be a part of that.

♪ For this, Lord ♪ ♪ I give you praise ♪ (dramatic orchestral music) (Krista vocalizing) ♪ Lord, you run me over ♪ ♪ I know it was you through every trial ♪ - Krista Overby is from Mississippi, from Laurel, Mississippi.

She's an outstanding gospel artist.

She's also a music educator.

She's very intuitive in terms of how she processes the music and it's really music from her soul.

I can't listen to her without getting an emotion.

(pensive orchestral music) (pensive orchestral music continues) ♪ Order my steps in Your Word, Dear Lord ♪ ♪ Lead me, guide me every day ♪ ♪ Send Your anointing, Father, I pray ♪ ♪ Order my steps in Your Word ♪ ♪ Yes, order my steps in Your Word ♪ ♪ Humbly I ask Thee, teach me Thy will ♪ ♪ While You're working, help me keep still ♪ ♪ Satan is busy, God is real ♪ ♪ Order my steps in Your Word ♪ ♪ Please, order my steps in Your Word ♪ ♪ Write on my tongue, let my words edify ♪ ♪ Let the words of my mouth be acceptable in Thy sight ♪ ♪ Take charge of my thoughts both day and night ♪ ♪ Please, order my steps in Your Word ♪ ♪ Please, order my steps in Your Word ♪ ♪ Order my steps in Your Word, Dear Lord ♪ ♪ Lead me, guide me every day ♪ ♪ Send Your anointing, Father, I pray ♪ ♪ Order my steps in Your Word ♪ ♪ Please, order my steps ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ Walk worthy ♪ ♪ I want to walk worthy, my calling to fulfill ♪ ♪ Please, order my steps, Lord ♪ ♪ And I'll do Your blessed will ♪ ♪ The world is ever changing, but You are still the same ♪ ♪ Yes, You are ♪ ♪ If You order my steps, I'll praise Your name ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ Walk worthy ♪ ♪ I want to walk worthy, Jesus ♪ ♪ My calling to fulfill ♪ ♪ Order my steps ♪ ♪ Please, order my steps, oh ♪ ♪ I'll do Your blessed will ♪ ♪ The world is ever changing, but You remain the same, Lord ♪ ♪ If You order my steps, I'll praise Your name ♪ (Krista vocalizing) ♪ Order my steps ♪ ♪ Order my steps ♪ ♪ In Your Word ♪ ♪ Order my tongue ♪ ♪ In Your Word ♪ ♪ Guide my feet in Your Word ♪ ♪ Wash my heart in Your Word ♪ ♪ Show me how to walk in Your Word ♪ ♪ Show me how to talk in Your Word ♪ ♪ When I need a brand new song to sing ♪ ♪ Show me how ♪ ♪ In Your Word ♪ ♪ In Your Word, please ♪ ♪ Order my steps, walk with me, Jesus ♪ ♪ In Your Word ♪ ♪ Talk with me everyday ♪ ♪ Order my steps in Your Word ♪ ♪ Oh, it's not hard ♪ ♪ In Your Word ♪ ♪ Order, order, order ♪ ♪ My step ♪ ♪ In Your Word ♪ ♪ I need You, Jesus ♪ ♪ Order my steps in Your Word ♪ ♪ Order my steps ♪ ♪ Please, order my steps in Your ♪ ♪ Word ♪ ♪ Word ♪ (audience cheers and applauds) - That will close out our program featuring the Dorothy Cotton Jubilee Singers.

I wanna thank Dr. Baruch Whitehead and Ithaca College for their contributions to this program.

On behalf of everyone here at Expressions, I'm Adara Alston.

Thanks for watching and goodnight.

♪ I feel better ♪ ♪ So much better ♪ - Hallelujah!

♪ Since I laid my burden down ♪ ♪ I feel better ♪ ♪ So much better ♪ ♪ Since I laid my burden down ♪ - All the glory.

♪ Glory, glory, hallelujah ♪ ♪ Since I laid my burden down ♪ ♪ Glory, glory, hallelujah ♪ ♪ Since I laid my burden down ♪ ♪ I'm going home to ♪ ♪ Live with Jesus ♪ ♪ Since I laid my burden down ♪ ♪ I'm going home to ♪ ♪ Live with Jesus ♪ ♪ Since I laid my burden down ♪ ♪ Glory, glory, hallelujah ♪ ♪ Since I laid my burden down ♪ ♪ Glory, glory, hallelujah ♪ ♪ Since I laid my burden down ♪ ♪ My friends don't treat me ♪ ♪ Like they used to ♪ ♪ Since I laid my burden down ♪ ♪ My friends don't treat me ♪ ♪ Like they used to ♪ ♪ Since I laid my burden down ♪ ♪ Glory, glory, hallelujah ♪ ♪ Since I laid my burden down ♪ ♪ Glory, glory, hallelujah ♪ ♪ Since I laid my burden down ♪ - Hallelujah.