The Nathaniel Dett Chorale is Canada’s first professional choral group dedicated to Afrocentric music of all styles. These trained, outstanding vocalists have shared the stage with internationally recognized artists such as Juno Award-winning jazz pianist Joe Sealy; opera star Kathleen Battle and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra; the Signal Hill Alumni Choir of Tobago, West Indies; and the Concert Choir of Hampton University, Virginia. The Chorale has also performed at events honouring world leaders Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Barack Obama, and personalities Muhammad Ali and Oscar Peterson.
Founded in 1998, The Nathaniel Dett Chorale’s vision is to be a premier performer of Afrocentric composers, and to be a touchstone for the education of audiences and communities regarding the full spectrum of Afrocentric choral music.
The Chorale is named after internationally renowned African-Canadian composer R. Nathaniel Dett (1882-1943), who performed at prestigious concert halls such as Carnegie Hall and Boston Symphony Hall. Dett was dedicated to the cause of Black music, winning the Bowdoin and Frances Boott prizes in 1920 from Harvard University. The Chorale draws attention not only to Dett’s legacy, but also to the wealth of Afrocentric choral music, and is a professional choral group where persons of African heritage can see themselves represented in the majority.
Since its inception in 1998, The Nathaniel Dett Chorale has honoured the memory of its namesake, performing a jubilant and uplifting repertoire extensively throughout Canada and The United States; and delighting national and international audiences with critically-acclaimed concerts and workshops.
The Nathaniel Dett Chorale is Artist in Residence at The Harriet Tubman Institute for Research on Africa and its Diasporas at York University.
