UDC music directors grateful for special seasonal event

With an atmosphere of holiday cheer and the sounds of the season, students, faculty, alumni and the public were treated to the annual University of the District of Columbia Holiday Concert at the Theater of the Arts. The music was directed by music professors Johnny Butler, Allyn Johnson and Gerry Gillespie. 

Held on December 5, the event featured the UDC Chorale, directed by Johnny Butler, who started the evening with a program of choral music, followed by the gospel sounds of The Voices, directed by Gerry Gillespie and the UDC Jazz Ensemble, directed by Allyn Johnson.  

“This was a special concert because it’s the first time since the pandemic that we’ve been able to have the concert,” Johnson said. “We are trying to come back in a big way and let the community know that we are still in full force. It is important to let people know that things are still happening here at the University.”  

After several rehearsals and final tweaks, the concert successfully unites people from various backgrounds through the universal connection of music and song. Butler said he felt extra pressure to ensure that students gave their best performance since all the music performed was composed by African American composers. 

“I wanted every note to be right,” Butler said. “I am most proud of getting through the concert. It was a marathon from the time I got up to the time we hit the stage.” 

His biggest challenge was coordinating student schedules to manage rehearsals. Butler teaches applied music, voice and keyboard. He also prepares his students for the real world as future artists. 

“The most important thing for a musician to remember is that it’s not about you. It’s about the music,” Butler said. “You have to be on time and know your craft inside and out. Then, in tandem, you must learn theory, piano and key signatures and scales. If you are a vocal musician, you must vocalize every day.”  

Butler also noted that students must learn a spectrum of choral literature including African American composers. In addition to regularly scheduled concert engagements, the UDC Chorale performs at University events and has appeared with the HBCU Concert Choir Consortium and at the National U.S. Veterans Day Concert in Washington, DC. 

UDC’s gospel music choir, The Voices has been featured in concert at UDC Gospel Music Festivals, the Smithsonian Institution, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and various churches, schools and community centers. 

The Jazz Studies Program produces premier jazz ensembles that have performed at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and local jazz clubs. The program’s JAZZAlive series culminates each year with the Calvin Jones BIG BAND Jazz Festival, organized in conjunction with the Felix E. Grant Jazz Archives.  

“I am proud to be here still serving the community and serving the students. I’m proud of the University and all it’s been doing to serve,” Johnson said.