(gentle music) - [Announcer] This week on "Expressions," a performance from the Dorothy Cotton Jubilee Singers.

♪ The people are there ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ The people are there in the city ♪ ♪ The people are there ♪ ♪ People are there in the city ♪ ♪ No more dying in the city ♪ ♪ No more crying in the city ♪ ♪ No more crying ♪ ♪ No more dying ♪ ♪ No more crying ♪ ♪ No more dying in the city ♪ ♪ Have you heard of the city ♪ ♪ New Jerusalem ♪ ♪ It has 12 gates and 24 elders ♪ ♪ Welcoming the children of God ♪ ♪ It has 12 gates and 24 elders ♪ ♪ Welcoming the children ♪ - [Announcer] Funding for this program is provided in part by viewers like you.

Thank you.

(audience applauding) - Hello, and welcome to "Expressions."

I'm your host, Adara Alston.

For this episode, we travel to Ithaca, New York to present a concert from the Dorothy Cotton Jubilee Singers.

Under the direction of Dr. Baruch Whitehead, this group is dedicated to the preservation of Negro spirituals and the memory of civil rights pioneer Dorothy Cotton.

We open the program with a rendition of "I've Been Buked and I've Been Scorned," a song famously performed by Mahalia Jackson in front of the Lincoln Memorial prior to Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have a Dream" speech.

♪ I've been 'buked and I've been scorned ♪ ♪ I've been 'buked and I've been scorned ♪ ♪ Children ♪ ♪ I've been 'buked and I've been scorned ♪ ♪ I've been talked about, shows you born ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ I've been 'buked and I've been scorned ♪ ♪ Yes, I've been 'buked and I've been scorned ♪ ♪ Children ♪ ♪ I've been 'buked and I've been scorned ♪ ♪ I've been talked about, shows you born ♪ ♪ There is trouble all over this world, yes ♪ ♪ There is trouble all over this world, children ♪ ♪ There is trouble all over this world ♪ ♪ There is trouble all over this world ♪ ♪ Ain't gonna lay my religion down, no ♪ ♪ Ain't gonna lay my religion down, children ♪ ♪ Ain't gonna lay my religion down ♪ ♪ Ain't gonna lay my religion down ♪ (audience applauding) (soft piano music) ♪ I love You, Lord ♪ ♪ For your mercy never fails me ♪ ♪ All my days, I've been held in your hands ♪ ♪ From the moment that I wake up ♪ ♪ Until I lay my head ♪ ♪ I will sing of the goodness of God ♪ ♪ 'Cause all my life you have been faithful ♪ - Come on now, come on now.

♪ And all my life you have been so, so good ♪ ♪ With every breath that I am able ♪ ♪ I will sing of the goodness of God ♪ ♪ I love your voice ♪ ♪ You have led me through the fire ♪ ♪ In darkest nights you are close like no other ♪ ♪ I've known you as a father ♪ ♪ I've known you as a friend ♪ ♪ I have lived in the goodness of God ♪ ♪ All my life you have been faithful ♪ ♪ And all my life you have been good ♪ ♪ With every breath that I am able ♪ ♪ I will sing of the goodness of God ♪ ♪ Your goodness is running after, it's running after me ♪ ♪ Your goodness is running after, it's running after me ♪ ♪ With my life laid down, I surrender now ♪ ♪ I give you everything ♪ ♪ Your goodness is running after, it's running after me ♪ ♪ Your goodness is running after, it's running after me ♪ ♪ Your goodness is running after, it's running after me ♪ ♪ With my life laid down, I surrender now ♪ ♪ I give you everything ♪ ♪ Your goodness is running after, it's running after me ♪ ♪ It's running after me ♪ (audience cheering) ♪ And all my life you have been faithful ♪ ♪ And all my life you have been so, so good ♪ ♪ With every breath that I am able ♪ ♪ I will sing of the goodness of God ♪ ♪ I'm gonna sing ♪ ♪ All my life you have been faithful ♪ ♪ All my life you have been so, so good ♪ ♪ Every breath that I am able ♪ ♪ I will sing of the goodness of God ♪ ♪ I will sing of the goodness of God ♪ ♪ I will sing ♪ ♪ I will sing of the goodness ♪ ♪ Of God ♪ (audience cheering) - The Dorothy Cotton Jubilee Singers with soloist Jayna Simeon bringing the house down with the performance of "For the Goodness of God."

Now, in addition to capturing the performance at Ithaca College, we also filmed the Jubilee Singers at the historic AME Zion Church in downtown Ithaca.

This location was key in the Underground Railroad and was visited by historical figures such as Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman.

Here is Rose Pascal with a spiritual reading of "The Twelve Gates To The City," followed by the Jubilee Singers performing with the Ithaca College Symphony Orchestra.

- If slaves could find anything worth celebrating, it was a city with 12 gates.

While that city was beautiful and welcomed children dressed in white or red, the key phrase is, "When I get to heaven, I'm gonna sing and shout, and ain't nobody up there gonna take me out."

Heaven was considered a place of boundless welcome in contrast to churches, where the slave's joyful praise was not appreciated by whites, and where on occasion their clapping and shouting was enough to have them physically removed from church.

Harriet Tubman spoke of the city of Heaven as she was considering yet another return trip to the south, despite knowing there was a reward for her capture, dead or alive.

These words are her words.

"John saw the city, didn't he?"

- [Audience] Yes, he did.

- "Yet John saw the city.

What did he see?

He saw 12 gates, didn't he?

Three of those gates was on the north, three of them was on the east, three of them was on the west, but there were three more and them was on the south.

And I reckon if they kill me down there, I get into one of them gates, don't you?"

- [Audience Member] Yes.

(upbeat music) ♪ John saw the holy city coming from above ♪ ♪ Coming down from heaven, coming down from God ♪ ♪ Have you heard about the city ♪ ♪ New Jerusalem ♪ ♪ It has 12 gates and 24 elders ♪ ♪ Welcoming the children of God ♪ ♪ John heard the voice of angels saying don't you cry ♪ ♪ I will bring you near me and I will dry your eyes ♪ ♪ Have you heard about the city ♪ ♪ New Jerusalem ♪ ♪ It has 12 gates and 24 elders ♪ ♪ Welcoming the children of God ♪ ♪ Oh what a beautiful city ♪ ♪ Oh what a beautiful place ♪ ♪ Oh what a beautiful place ♪ ♪ 12 gates to the city, hallelujah ♪ ♪ John saw the holy city coming from above ♪ ♪ Coming down from heaven, coming down from God ♪ ♪ Have you heard about the city ♪ ♪ New Jerusalem ♪ ♪ It has 12 gates and 24 elders ♪ ♪ Welcoming the children of God ♪ ♪ 12 gates in the city ♪ ♪ 24 elders in the city ♪ ♪ A sea of glass in the city ♪ ♪ A throne is there in the city ♪ ♪ A sea of glass in the city ♪ ♪ You don't need light in the city ♪ ♪ The people are there in the city ♪ ♪ The people are there in the city ♪ ♪ The Lamb is the light in the city ♪ ♪ The people are there in the city ♪ ♪ The Lamb is the light in the city ♪ ♪ People are there in the city ♪ ♪ No more dying in the city ♪ ♪ No more crying in the city ♪ ♪ No more dying in the city ♪ ♪ No more crying in the city ♪ ♪ No more dying in the city ♪ ♪ No more crying in the city ♪ ♪ Have you heard about the city ♪ ♪ New Jerusalem ♪ ♪ It has 12 gates and 24 elders ♪ ♪ Welcoming the children of God ♪ ♪ It has 12 gates and 24 elders ♪ ♪ Welcoming the children of God ♪ ♪ Oh, yes it does ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ (audience applauding) (catchy music) (choir clapping) ♪ No more crying in the city ♪ ♪ No more dying in the city ♪ ♪ No more crying in the city ♪ ♪ No more dying in the city ♪ ♪ No more crying in the city ♪ ♪ Have you heard of the city ♪ ♪ New Jerusalem ♪ ♪ It has 12 gates and 24 elders ♪ ♪ Welcoming the children of God ♪ ♪ It has 12 gates and 24 elders ♪ ♪ Marching in the city of God ♪ (audience applauding) - That was soloist Krista Overby joining the Jubilee Singers on a performance of "Twelve Gates to the City."

We have one more song coming up, and a reminder that you can visit dorothycottonjubileesingers.org to learn more about the group and to check out where they will be performing next.

You can also visit wskg.org/expressions to see even more from the Jubilee Singers.

We leave you with the performance of "My God is a Rock."

Thanks so much for watching.

I'm Adara Alston.

♪ God is a rock in a weary land ♪ ♪ Yes he is ♪ ♪ My God, he is a rock in a weary land ♪ ♪ He's a shelter in the time of storm ♪ ♪ A shelter in the time of storm ♪ ♪ My God, he is a rock in a weary land ♪ ♪ My God is a rock in a weary land ♪ ♪ My God, he is a rock in a weary land ♪ ♪ He's a shelter in the time of storm ♪ ♪ Stop, let me tell you 'bout one through six ♪ ♪ My God, my rock ♪ ♪ Stop, let me tell you 'bout chapter one ♪ ♪ When the Lord God's work had just begun ♪ ♪ Yes, God preached the Bible through ♪ ♪ Lord God died on Calvary ♪ ♪ Stop, let me tell you 'bout chapter four ♪ ♪ When the Lord God walked among the poor ♪ ♪ Chapter five, when he brought the dead alive ♪ ♪ Chapter six, and in Jerusalem he healed the sick ♪ ♪ Yes, he healed the sick ♪ ♪ My God, he is a rock in a weary land ♪ ♪ My God is a rock in a weary land ♪ ♪ My God, he is a rock in a weary land ♪ ♪ He's a shelter in the time of storm ♪ ♪ Stop, let me tell you 'bout seven through 12 ♪ ♪ My God, my rock ♪ ♪ Stop, let me tell you 'bout chapter seven ♪ ♪ When the Lord God rose and went to Heaven ♪ ♪ Yes, God stood at the pearly gates ♪ ♪ The Lord God turned the water to wine ♪ ♪ Stop, let me tell you 'bout chapter 10 ♪ ♪ When John saw the Lord coming back again ♪ ♪ Chapter 11, God showed wonders in the heavens ♪ ♪ Chapter 12 ♪ ♪ Let me tell you 'bout chapter 12 ♪ ♪ God sent Satan right, God sent Satan right ♪ ♪ Sent him straight to hell ♪ ♪ In a shelter, in a storm ♪ ♪ In a shelter, in a storm ♪ ♪ Yes, my God is a rock ♪ ♪ My God is a rock ♪ ♪ My God is a rock in a weary, weary land ♪ ♪ He's a shelter in that storm ♪ ♪ In a shelter, in a storm ♪ ♪ In a shelter, in a storm ♪ ♪ My God is a rock ♪ ♪ My God is a rock in a weary land ♪ ♪ He's a shelter in that storm ♪ ♪ Shelter in the time of storm ♪ ♪ Shelter in the storm ♪ ♪ Shelter, is my comfort ♪ ♪ He's my protector, he's my rock ♪ ♪ He's a rock in a weary, weary, weary land ♪ ♪ In the time of ♪ ♪ Storm ♪ (audience applauding) (gentle spiritual music)