Gullah Music & Spirituals

The Magnolia Singers preserve the rich tradition of Gullah music and spirituals. Concerts are held weekly on Tuesday evenings at 7:15 p.m. at the Circular Congregational Church at 150 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC. In addition to these concerts, the Magnolia Singers perform throughout the Charleston area. Appearances include singing at the Piccolo Spoleto and with the Long Bay Symphony Orchestra. The Magnolia Singers offer a glimpse into the roots of American music and are highly entertaining.

Gullah music and spirituals are the "life music" of slavery. Gullah music sustained and encouraged slaves through the experience of praise. Listening to Gullah spirituals, audiences hear anguished voices, sense the courage to endure and feel the satisfaction Gullah music offered the soul. Gullah music and spirituals created community and allowed slaves to pass coded messages of resistance and escape.

The Magnolia Singers and Praise House bring Gullah music and spirituals to life. We celebrate the cultural heritage of this almost forgotten art form. In the tradition of the call and response, the Magnolia Singers invite audiences to join the universal experience of hope that is always the Gullah spiritual's central theme.

Through Gullah spirituals, audiences also experience America's most authentic music. Jazz, blues, ragtime, gospel and 'soul music' all have their roots in the rhythm and improvisational style of Gullah music. The Magnolia Singers capture this collective experience as singers branch out in the course of a single song, each varying verse, tune and tempo, to weave a tapestry of music. All American music owes a debt to the Gullah spiritual.

Praise House is presented weekly on Tuesday evenings at 7:15 p.m. at the Circular Congregational Church on 150 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC. and features Gullah singing, poetry and stories. We encourage you to participate! We guarantee it is Charleston's most unique presentation. Join the Magnolia Singers at Praise House and learn a little history while having a lot of fun.

General Admission: 15.00

Seniors (65 yrs and older ): 13.00

Students ( and Young People 13-17 years ) : 10.00

Children ( 12 years and under ) : FREE

Only cash and checks accepted at this time.