Hampton University choral groups
and ensembles have made substantial contributions to the enjoyment of choral
music for peoples throughout the world.
The traveling choirs of Hampton
have been a "tour de force" of ambassadorship for the Institution
since its inception.
Throughout its illustrious past
the choir has become distinguished for performing the innovative compositions
of the “Hampton Four” - R. Nathaniel Dett, Noah F. Ryder, Nathan Carter, and
Roland M. Carter.
The most distinguished
performance for the choir was the command performance at the 53rd Inauguration
Ceremony of William Jefferson Clinton, President of the United States in 1997.
The Hampton University Concert
Choir has had the distinction of performing in some of the world's most beloved
concert halls, churches, and cathedrals including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy
Center, Avery-Fischer Hall, Severance Hall, Chrysler Hall, Westminster Abbey,
St. Patrick's Cathedral, Constitution Hall, Brentwood Baptist Church, Hartford
Memorial Baptist Church, Bethel Baptist Institutional Church, Perine Baptist
Church of Miami and in the Shrine Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in
Washington, D.C.
The tradition of excellence set
forth by the Concert Choir transcends the walls of the University and impacts
people from all walks of life. A variety of choral literature, a legacy of
tradition from which the choir stands, performances that challenge the traditional
choral music model, keep the demand for the choir and its conductor
significantly increased. It is in this vein that the Hampton University Concert
Choir excels as a high caliber, professional, and well-respected ambassador of
good will for Hampton University.
The Conductor
Royzell L. Dillard
Director of University Choirs
Assistant Professor of Music
Co-Music Director, the Hampton
University Ministers’ Conference
Choir Directors’ Organists’ Guild