In early February 2026, the BSS vocal class and members of the Black Student Union took to the stage at the Meridian Arts Centre alongside the University of Toronto Gospel Choir and vocal students from Father John Redmond Catholic Secondary School. The concert, Let’s Celebrate: A Community Celebration of Black History, brought together secondary and post-secondary students in a shared exploration of gospel music and its cultural roots.
The collaboration was initiated by University of Toronto professor Dr. Darren Hamilton and supported by a BSS team including Director of Arts Tara Burt, vocal teacher Natalie DiNardo, Black Student Union supervisor Chelsey Hutson and BSS Chaplain Claire Latimer-Dennis. Designed as both a performance and a learning partnership, the initiative embedded professional-level artistic experience directly into the curriculum.
From Classroom to Professional Practice
Preparation began with a series of intensive workshops that extended learning beyond traditional choral rehearsal. Dr. Hamilton led five in-person sessions focused on gospel technique, history and repertoire. Students also participated in virtual workshops with Dr. Triniece Robinson-Martin of Berklee College of Music and vocalist Lonnie Norwood Jr., who addressed style, interpretation and vocal technique.
These sessions challenged students to expand their musical vocabulary. Moving beyond a primarily classical foundation, they explored blue notes, syncopation and call-and-response structures central to African American oral traditions. As performers immersed themselves in the genre, they learned to let go of the familiar parameters of standard notation to find the rhythmic fluidity of authentic gospel. They traded traditional head-voice resonance for the powerful, chest-voice groove that defines the gospel sound. The process required adaptability and careful listening, as students learned to internalize music often taught and transmitted without written notation.
Growth Through Challenge
BSS students employed focus and resilience to perform on par with a university ensemble. Without relying on sheet music, they learned complex four- to eight-part harmonies by ear. Rehearsals required disciplined preparation and strong ensemble awareness, holding independent lines while blending within a large, dynamic choir.
Senior students assumed key leadership roles, anchoring vocal sections, modelling rehearsal etiquette and supporting younger singers. Soloists Hannah K ’27, Simone M ’29 and Gabriella K ’27 demonstrated both technical command and interpretive confidence as they navigated stylistic nuances unfamiliar to many classically trained singers. Their growth reflected a willingness to take informed artistic risks within a supportive, high-expectation environment — finding their literal and figurative voice.
“I really liked how, in gospel, you can learn the notes and then take it to the next level and make it your own style,” said Gabriella, a Grade 11 student who has been a member of the school choir since Grade 9. “Being able to perform a solo without sheet music was a really interesting challenge. It was a progressive process of honing my skills and technique to convey the underlying depth and message of the music in my performance.”
Community, Culture and Context
Central to the project was a commitment to honouring the cultural and spiritual roots of gospel music. Collaboration with the Black Student Union ensured that learning remained grounded in historical understanding and respect for the music’s origins within Black communities. Guidance from the school’s chaplain further contextualized the sacred dimensions of the repertoire. The experience extended beyond the concert stage, as the students performed Standing in the Need of Prayer at the BSS Black History Month Chapel, sharing their learning with the wider community and reinforcing the connection between scholarship, performance and cultural understanding.
For Simone, a member of both the Vocal class and Black Student Union, the most impactful part of the experience was the shared sense of community as different groups came together to sing the same songs. “It was an opportunity to learn about something that is close to me and my history. It was so interesting to see how a form of music came from so much history and so much struggle,” she said.
This initiative exemplifies the distinctive BSS approach: rigorous academic preparation paired with meaningful, real-world application. By engaging with professional artists, navigating unfamiliar musical traditions and performing on a major stage, students developed not only technical skill, but confidence, cultural literacy and leadership: hallmarks of a BSS education.
