HU Choirs’ London Tour Will Celebrate 1930 Trip

By Rosaland Tyler
Associate Editor
New Journal and Guide

The Hampton University Choirs will travel to London from June 24-30, 2025 in celebration of the 95th anniversary of the school’s landmark 1930 European tour. That historic tour was led by renowned composer and former Hampton director of music, R. Nathaniel Dett, during the first year of the Great Depression, at a time when there were at least 121 HBCUs in the USA.

Hampton University’s upcoming international tour represents more than a performance opportunity – it’s a cultural homecoming that honors Dett’s vision of African-American music as both fine art and a force for global connection, the university noted in a recent statement on its website. Under Dett’s leadership, the Hampton Institute Choir became one of the first African-American collegiate choirs to perform internationally, introducing audiences across Europe to the depth, dignity, and spiritual resonance of spirituals.

“Dett was a musical visionary who used his gifts to elevate the voices of Black students and the power of our heritage,” said Hampton University Choir Director Omar Dickenson. “This London tour continues that mission – educating through music, building cultural bridges, and honoring the extraordinary foundation he laid.”

Years before Hampton’s choir sailed to Europe in 1930, Dett’s 40-voice Hampton Singers performed at Carnegie Hall in January 1914, a decade or so before he received an honorary doctorate in music at Oberlin Conservatory, a first for an African-American, according to The Library of Congress. Records show Dett earned a doctorate in music at Howard University in 1924.

Hampton’s original 1930 choir tour included stops in England, France, Switzerland, and Germany, and was hailed internationally for its artistry and the integrity of its message.