Program: A City Called Heaven: Chicago and the Birth of Gospel Music

By Carla Carstens Herr:

Hallelujah! Dames and guests (45+) celebrated the Holiday season with a virtual presentation on the founding of gospel music in Chicago.  Bob Marovich, gospel music historian, spoke about how the musical influence of southern slaves from West Africa and Evangelical Christians combined with the Protestant Black churches in the city of Chicago during the Great Migration north in the 1920/1930s to create the music genre that we know as gospel music.

Interestingly, Bishop Ford played an important role in further promoting this musical genre through his midnight church service radio broadcasts to a national audience.   Moreover, in the 1940s Mrs. Ford turned Clarke house into a restaurant to serve Black musicians, such as Duke Ellington and others, who were not welcomed in the loop restaurants.  Mrs. Ford was apparently an excellent chef.

A fascinating presentation enjoyed by all.

Keeping with our holiday tradition, we also raised $1340 for Toys for Tots. Joan Shannahan, who organized our Toys for Tots collection, presented a “virtual” check to the Marine representative.

Dames and Guests

Bringing in the holiday season were:  Peggy Bodine, Cammie Burgess, Carla Carstens, Marion Christoph, Emily Deitrick, Laura Ekstrom, Diane Eubanks, Elizabeth Faulconer, Mary Fields, Diane Gaumer, Laurel Gray, Chris Gretchko, Freddie Hayes, Caroline Heintzelman, Katy Ingle, Julia Jackson, Ann Jones, Anne Tower Krauss, Claudia Lane, Judy Lawson, Suzanne McCullough, Phoebe McMillan, Ginny McTier, Mary O’Hara, Pat Paul, Jean Perkins, Cindy Pinkerton, Anne Rossley, Nancy Schultz, Cami Schumacher, Karen and Mary Šeda, Joan Shannahan, Kathy Taylor, Elizabeth Thomas, Ellen Waller, Tracy Whitehead, Sonya Wolsey-Paige, Courtenay Wood and Martha Zimmerman.