Conductors and directors for the Wings Over Jordan Choir include:[1]
James E. Tate (1935–38), director of the Gethesame Baptist Choir through their radio debut on
WGAR radio and national pickup by
CBS[2][3]
Worth Kramer (1938–41), program director of WGAR, arranged and published much of the choir's repertoire, directed their 1941
Columbia Masterworks album[4]
Willette Firmbanks Thompson (1935–41), pianist, assistant director under both Tate and Kramer, believed to be the first female director of a nationally known choir[5][6]
Hattye Easley (1943–46), who also was a soloist; conducted the choir during their 1945–46
USO tour in Europe[10]
Maurice Goldman (1944–45), shared duties with Hattye Easley and the choir's second white director after Worth Kramer[11]
James Lewis Elkins (1946–47),[12] led the choir through the initial part of their postwar tour and recognized by the
New York Philharmonic as a guest conductor[13]
Charles E. King (1946–47),[14] later a director of the "Wings Over Hollywood" choir[15] and the Cleveland-based "Kingdom Choir"[16]
Gilbert F. Allen (1947–49), final conductor for the choir's CBS program, directed their
RCA Victor records including "
Amen"[17]
Frank Everett (1949–78),[a] conductor for the choir's "second generation" that continued performing after Rev. Settle's 1995 retirement and 1967 death[19]
Kenneth Brown Billups (1950–57), conductor for the Legend Singers of St. Louis, which was designated as a satellite unit of Wings by Rev. Settle[20]
Clarence H. Brooks (1950–64), conductor for the East Coast satellite unit of Wings[21]
Singers and soloists
The following is a list of verified singers and soloists involved with Wings Over Jordan. Because of the total number of singers that were ultimately associated with the choir, either in their original incarnation or the varied satellite units that bore the "Wings Over Jordan Choir" name after 1950,[b] a definitive list is almost impossible to compile.[22]
Original roster
Former members have estimated that the choir originally had a roster of between 40 and 50 members in the summer of 1937, consisting of mostly unmarried men and women, with an age range between 17 and 30.[23] Two 1957 Call and Post articles that covered a 20th anniversary reunion for the original members of Wings Over Jordan Choir listed the following singers:[24][25]
Along with Rev. Glenn T. Settle, business manager Mildred Ridley and conductor Hattye Easley, the following singers took part in a ten-month tour in Europe to perform for overseas military personnel on behalf of the
USO:[40]
Sylvia Avery
John Carpenter
Rheda Chatman
Dorothy Clarke
Cecil Dandy
Ezekiel Dearon
Cynthia Groverly
Marvin Hayes
Mildred Hunter
Myrtle Jones
William Peoples
Rell Pierce
George Rates
Kenneth Slaughter
Sherman Sneed
Eugene Strider
Ellison White
1950 roster
The following singers were listed as members in a 1950 promotional booklet:[41]
Sylvia Avery
Charles T. Blackburn
Ernest C. Bledsoe
Robert G. Brown
Joseph M. Cabiness
Walter T. Clark
Orlando Donan
Ruth Fomby
Eddie Givens, Jr.
DuWayne Griffin
Helen Hallums
Gerald L. Hutton
Amie Lee Johnson
Samuel R. Johnson
Pattie Jean Moore
Gussie Mae Southall
Olive Thompson
1951 West Coast roster
The following singers were listed in a September 27, 1951, concert conducted by Frank Everett, who primarily headed the choir's West Coast "satellite unit":[42]
Thomas Brown
Walter T. Clark
Delores Cordell
Neil Harrison
Lorraine Jeffries
Barbara Mills
Christine Schooler
Travestine Underwood
Leslie Wells
1955 East Coast roster
These singers were listed in an October 3, 1955, concert conducted by Clarence H. Brooks, who headed the East Coast-based group:[43]
Clarence H. Brooks
Edna Mae Brooks
Adell Emerson
James Green
Billye Mathews
Clementine Patrick
Alvin Washington
Bobbie Williams
Additional singers
The following are additional members of the choir in any incarnation that have been cited and verified elsewhere:
^
abThe 1978 date of Frank Everett's departure as conductor is attributed to records and notes of the choir kept by historian Samuel Barber.[18] Since no one replaced Everett, it can also be regarded as the year the choir disbanded.
^George H. Grant was an original member of the choir who died on June 9, 1940, from complications related to a stomach ailment.[27]
^While Cleva was not noted in the 1957 Call and Post article listing the choir's original members, her obituary and additional interviews have noted her involvement in this period, thus she is included.[35]
References
^
abFenner, Chris (August 30, 2021).
"Wings Over Jordan bio". Hymnology Archive.
Archived from the original on December 5, 2021. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
^"Covering the News Headlines of 1938". Call and Post. Cleveland, Ohio. December 29, 1938. pp. 8-
9.
Archived from the original on December 10, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2021 – via NewspaperArchive.
^"Now Directs "Wings Over Jordan" Choir". Call and Post. Cleveland, Ohio. February 17, 1938. p. 7.
Archived from the original on December 10, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2021 – via NewspaperArchive.
^
abWest, Dick (December 12, 1946).
"'Wings Over Jordan' Performance Unexcelled". Corpus Christi Caller-Times. Corpus Christi, Texas. p. 2B.
Archived from the original on December 28, 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^
ab"Chorus to Sing Monday". Ventura County Star. Ventura, California. February 14, 1948. p. 8.
Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^"In The Groove". Amarillo Daily News. Amarillo, Texas. December 22, 1948. p. 24.
Archived from the original on December 28, 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2021 – via NewspaperArchive.
^"Famed Choir Returns April 23". The Hanford Sentinel. Hanford, California. April 15, 1972. p. 4.
Archived from the original on December 23, 2021. Retrieved December 23, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^"'Wings' Reunion Lures Many Guests". Call and Post. Cleveland, Ohio. May 4, 1957. p. 5.
Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved December 25, 2021 – via NewspaperArchive.
^"At The Churches". Dayton Daily News. Dayton, Ohio. November 25, 1951. p. 8-FOUR.
Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Prestonians to appear at Shiloh". The Evening Independent. Massillon, Ohio. April 1, 1975. p. 8.
Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Obituary for Montgomery Rates (Aged 55)". Messenger-Inquirer. Owensboro, Kentucky. May 28, 1978. p. 10.
Archived from the original on December 27, 2021. Retrieved December 26, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^
abMiller, Malcolm (May 19, 1946).
"Music and Drama". The Knoxville Journal. Knoxville, Tennessee. p. 9.
Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Obituary for Cecil Dandy". Tampa Bay Times. St. Petersburg, Florida. February 4, 1982. p. 11B.
Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^
abc"Social Briefs". Call and Post. Cleveland, Ohio. March 24, 1945. p. 7A.
Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved January 14, 2022 – via NewspaperArchive.
^"Director of music appointed". Progress Bulletin. Pomona, California. May 24, 1975. p. 10.
Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Vivian Bradford In Recital". Call and Post. Cleveland, Ohio. May 13, 1950. p. 10-A.
Archived from the original on December 26, 2021. Retrieved December 25, 2021 – via NewspaperArchive.
^"Obituary for Samuel L. Brooks (Aged 63)". Evansville Press. Evansville, Indiana. July 10, 1983. p. 7-B.
Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^Light, Betsy (July 20, 1986).
"TV's 'Hawk' serious artist". The Indianapolis Star. Indianapolis, Indiana. pp. 1E,
5E.
Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^Ballou, Art (January 31, 1965).
"Hub Gospel Singer Quits Grid". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. p. 62.
Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^Campbell, Genie (June 27, 1975).
"Rock takes a back seat to jazz". Elk Grove Herald. Elk Grove Village, Illinois. p. Section 2-1.
Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^Anthony, Lois R. (April 3, 1951).
"Your Church and Mine". Latrobe Bulletin. Latrobe, Pennsylvania. p. 6.
Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Cleveland Singers Acclaimed on Tour". The Pittsburgh Courier. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. November 23, 1946. p. 19.
Archived from the original on December 29, 2021. Retrieved December 29, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Platters Have Secret Formula for Success". Tampa Bay Times. St. Petersburg, Florida. January 6, 1957. p. 14-E.
Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^
ab"Jordan Choir Tours Korea". The Evening Standard. Uniontown, Pennsylvania. January 15, 1954. p. 11.
Archived from the original on December 27, 2021. Retrieved December 27, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Gethsemane Church Missionary Dies". Call and Post. Cleveland, Ohio. June 8, 1957. p. 3.
Archived from the original on December 26, 2021. Retrieved December 25, 2021 – via NewspaperArchive.
^"Choral Group First Recital At Ward". California Eagle. Los Angeles, California. August 7, 1958. p. 7.
Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
Conductors and directors for the Wings Over Jordan Choir include:[1]
James E. Tate (1935–38), director of the Gethesame Baptist Choir through their radio debut on
WGAR radio and national pickup by
CBS[2][3]
Worth Kramer (1938–41), program director of WGAR, arranged and published much of the choir's repertoire, directed their 1941
Columbia Masterworks album[4]
Willette Firmbanks Thompson (1935–41), pianist, assistant director under both Tate and Kramer, believed to be the first female director of a nationally known choir[5][6]
Hattye Easley (1943–46), who also was a soloist; conducted the choir during their 1945–46
USO tour in Europe[10]
Maurice Goldman (1944–45), shared duties with Hattye Easley and the choir's second white director after Worth Kramer[11]
James Lewis Elkins (1946–47),[12] led the choir through the initial part of their postwar tour and recognized by the
New York Philharmonic as a guest conductor[13]
Charles E. King (1946–47),[14] later a director of the "Wings Over Hollywood" choir[15] and the Cleveland-based "Kingdom Choir"[16]
Gilbert F. Allen (1947–49), final conductor for the choir's CBS program, directed their
RCA Victor records including "
Amen"[17]
Frank Everett (1949–78),[a] conductor for the choir's "second generation" that continued performing after Rev. Settle's 1995 retirement and 1967 death[19]
Kenneth Brown Billups (1950–57), conductor for the Legend Singers of St. Louis, which was designated as a satellite unit of Wings by Rev. Settle[20]
Clarence H. Brooks (1950–64), conductor for the East Coast satellite unit of Wings[21]
Singers and soloists
The following is a list of verified singers and soloists involved with Wings Over Jordan. Because of the total number of singers that were ultimately associated with the choir, either in their original incarnation or the varied satellite units that bore the "Wings Over Jordan Choir" name after 1950,[b] a definitive list is almost impossible to compile.[22]
Original roster
Former members have estimated that the choir originally had a roster of between 40 and 50 members in the summer of 1937, consisting of mostly unmarried men and women, with an age range between 17 and 30.[23] Two 1957 Call and Post articles that covered a 20th anniversary reunion for the original members of Wings Over Jordan Choir listed the following singers:[24][25]
Along with Rev. Glenn T. Settle, business manager Mildred Ridley and conductor Hattye Easley, the following singers took part in a ten-month tour in Europe to perform for overseas military personnel on behalf of the
USO:[40]
Sylvia Avery
John Carpenter
Rheda Chatman
Dorothy Clarke
Cecil Dandy
Ezekiel Dearon
Cynthia Groverly
Marvin Hayes
Mildred Hunter
Myrtle Jones
William Peoples
Rell Pierce
George Rates
Kenneth Slaughter
Sherman Sneed
Eugene Strider
Ellison White
1950 roster
The following singers were listed as members in a 1950 promotional booklet:[41]
Sylvia Avery
Charles T. Blackburn
Ernest C. Bledsoe
Robert G. Brown
Joseph M. Cabiness
Walter T. Clark
Orlando Donan
Ruth Fomby
Eddie Givens, Jr.
DuWayne Griffin
Helen Hallums
Gerald L. Hutton
Amie Lee Johnson
Samuel R. Johnson
Pattie Jean Moore
Gussie Mae Southall
Olive Thompson
1951 West Coast roster
The following singers were listed in a September 27, 1951, concert conducted by Frank Everett, who primarily headed the choir's West Coast "satellite unit":[42]
Thomas Brown
Walter T. Clark
Delores Cordell
Neil Harrison
Lorraine Jeffries
Barbara Mills
Christine Schooler
Travestine Underwood
Leslie Wells
1955 East Coast roster
These singers were listed in an October 3, 1955, concert conducted by Clarence H. Brooks, who headed the East Coast-based group:[43]
Clarence H. Brooks
Edna Mae Brooks
Adell Emerson
James Green
Billye Mathews
Clementine Patrick
Alvin Washington
Bobbie Williams
Additional singers
The following are additional members of the choir in any incarnation that have been cited and verified elsewhere:
^
abThe 1978 date of Frank Everett's departure as conductor is attributed to records and notes of the choir kept by historian Samuel Barber.[18] Since no one replaced Everett, it can also be regarded as the year the choir disbanded.
^George H. Grant was an original member of the choir who died on June 9, 1940, from complications related to a stomach ailment.[27]
^While Cleva was not noted in the 1957 Call and Post article listing the choir's original members, her obituary and additional interviews have noted her involvement in this period, thus she is included.[35]
References
^
abFenner, Chris (August 30, 2021).
"Wings Over Jordan bio". Hymnology Archive.
Archived from the original on December 5, 2021. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
^"Covering the News Headlines of 1938". Call and Post. Cleveland, Ohio. December 29, 1938. pp. 8-
9.
Archived from the original on December 10, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2021 – via NewspaperArchive.
^"Now Directs "Wings Over Jordan" Choir". Call and Post. Cleveland, Ohio. February 17, 1938. p. 7.
Archived from the original on December 10, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2021 – via NewspaperArchive.
^
abWest, Dick (December 12, 1946).
"'Wings Over Jordan' Performance Unexcelled". Corpus Christi Caller-Times. Corpus Christi, Texas. p. 2B.
Archived from the original on December 28, 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^
ab"Chorus to Sing Monday". Ventura County Star. Ventura, California. February 14, 1948. p. 8.
Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^"In The Groove". Amarillo Daily News. Amarillo, Texas. December 22, 1948. p. 24.
Archived from the original on December 28, 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2021 – via NewspaperArchive.
^"Famed Choir Returns April 23". The Hanford Sentinel. Hanford, California. April 15, 1972. p. 4.
Archived from the original on December 23, 2021. Retrieved December 23, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^"'Wings' Reunion Lures Many Guests". Call and Post. Cleveland, Ohio. May 4, 1957. p. 5.
Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved December 25, 2021 – via NewspaperArchive.
^"At The Churches". Dayton Daily News. Dayton, Ohio. November 25, 1951. p. 8-FOUR.
Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Prestonians to appear at Shiloh". The Evening Independent. Massillon, Ohio. April 1, 1975. p. 8.
Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Obituary for Montgomery Rates (Aged 55)". Messenger-Inquirer. Owensboro, Kentucky. May 28, 1978. p. 10.
Archived from the original on December 27, 2021. Retrieved December 26, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^
abMiller, Malcolm (May 19, 1946).
"Music and Drama". The Knoxville Journal. Knoxville, Tennessee. p. 9.
Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Obituary for Cecil Dandy". Tampa Bay Times. St. Petersburg, Florida. February 4, 1982. p. 11B.
Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^
abc"Social Briefs". Call and Post. Cleveland, Ohio. March 24, 1945. p. 7A.
Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved January 14, 2022 – via NewspaperArchive.
^"Director of music appointed". Progress Bulletin. Pomona, California. May 24, 1975. p. 10.
Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Vivian Bradford In Recital". Call and Post. Cleveland, Ohio. May 13, 1950. p. 10-A.
Archived from the original on December 26, 2021. Retrieved December 25, 2021 – via NewspaperArchive.
^"Obituary for Samuel L. Brooks (Aged 63)". Evansville Press. Evansville, Indiana. July 10, 1983. p. 7-B.
Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^Light, Betsy (July 20, 1986).
"TV's 'Hawk' serious artist". The Indianapolis Star. Indianapolis, Indiana. pp. 1E,
5E.
Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^Ballou, Art (January 31, 1965).
"Hub Gospel Singer Quits Grid". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. p. 62.
Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^Campbell, Genie (June 27, 1975).
"Rock takes a back seat to jazz". Elk Grove Herald. Elk Grove Village, Illinois. p. Section 2-1.
Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^Anthony, Lois R. (April 3, 1951).
"Your Church and Mine". Latrobe Bulletin. Latrobe, Pennsylvania. p. 6.
Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Cleveland Singers Acclaimed on Tour". The Pittsburgh Courier. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. November 23, 1946. p. 19.
Archived from the original on December 29, 2021. Retrieved December 29, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Platters Have Secret Formula for Success". Tampa Bay Times. St. Petersburg, Florida. January 6, 1957. p. 14-E.
Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^
ab"Jordan Choir Tours Korea". The Evening Standard. Uniontown, Pennsylvania. January 15, 1954. p. 11.
Archived from the original on December 27, 2021. Retrieved December 27, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Gethsemane Church Missionary Dies". Call and Post. Cleveland, Ohio. June 8, 1957. p. 3.
Archived from the original on December 26, 2021. Retrieved December 25, 2021 – via NewspaperArchive.
^"Choral Group First Recital At Ward". California Eagle. Los Angeles, California. August 7, 1958. p. 7.
Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.