Grambling State News

Assistant Professor Cordara Harper to make directorial debut, looks to continue rich choral legacy of the ensemble

Grambling, La. – October 13, 2022 – The Grambling State University Choir plans on celebrating its 75th anniversary with a jewel of a concert featuring the debut of new director Cordara Harper. With the theme, “Be Optimistic: A Celebration of 75 Years of Singing Our Songs, the free, public event will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, October 17 in the Recital Hall of the Conrad Hutchison, Jr. Performing Arts Center.

Rising like a phoenix from the spark provided by what began as the Grambling College Glee Club, the GSU choir was founded and first performed at some point in 1947.

Early Grambling Choir directors included Mignon Cabell, Mildred Sowande, and L.L. Lusk, but it was under the direction of Robert Williams from 1960-86 that Grambling’s golden voices first gained notoriety.

Other more recent directors who have continued the GSU Choir’s legacy include McCoy Ransom Jr., Terry Alexander, Cheryl Clansy, Patricia Britton, Marcus J. Rhodes, Edryn J. Coleman, and Natorshau Davis, who directed the choir from 2012 until this summer.
“When I think about Ms. Davis, all I think about is wonderful things,’ Harper said. “My predecessor is so supportive, so kind and so caring.”

Monday’s concert will include a tribute to another of Harper’s predecessors at GSU.
“Professor Robert Williams was a professor of music here at Grambling State University and I’m excited to celebrate him by performing his arrangement of the spiritual, ‘Wade in De Water,’” Harper said. This arrangement spans back to the ’60s.”

Harper said the concert will pay tribute to multiple time periods of GSU’s choir.

“We’re going to go back into the past. We’re going to perform some spirituals,” Harper said. “We’re going to perform some baroque music, classical music, and some R&B as well. So, we look forward to continuing the rich choral history here at Grambling State University.”