Hear Freedom’s Ring will feature some of the popular music known as negro spirituals when it is staged at Queen’s Hall next week featuring tenor Michael Toby. The operatic tenor was born in Toronto but grew up in Trinidad, where he attended Trinity College. He returned to Canada to study at McGill University and upon completing his music degree, he then entered the ministry.
He now sings professionally, both in this show across Southern Ontario, as well as across the US with the trio The International Tenors. He also works as a minister with the Church of Christ in Selkirk, Ontario. The show on August 30 begins at 7 pm.
Songs such as Swing Low Sweet Chariot and Steal Away will take many back to their childhood or family memories—back to a time when life seemed safe. However, these spirituals had their beginnings at a time when many who sang them were far from safe. They more than songs that simply passed the time, they were songs that saved their lives. These spirituals were the songs of the Underground Railroad—which was neither underground nor a railroad. It was a secret network of collaborators—black, white, native, men and women—who worked together to help African Americans escape from a life of slavery in the South to one of freedom in the North. Spirituals were used to communicate on the railroad. There was a great need for subtlety when communicating. Writing was out of the question. Most slaves could not read or write—it was illegal to teach a slave how to do so or even for a slave to learn how to do so.
Those working to free slaves certainly did not want to leave evidence of what was being done because it could fall into the wrong hands. There were elaborate signals, for example: a tug on the ear; a secret handshake. In addition to the signals, there was an even more brazen way of communicating; right in plain view of the slave owners. This was through song. These spirituals would be used to help the slaves escape. They were sung by the slaves to signal their intentions and plans to each other, right under the slave master’s nose. Singing was encouraged among the slaves because it meant that they were working and helped the slave master know exactly where they were. However, the slave master had no idea that, not only were they passing the time, they were also passing secret messages back and forth to each other.
The spirituals were full of these secret messages. They were filled with hidden meanings and spoke of much more than simply dying and going to heaven. In Swing Low Sweet Chariot, the slaves sang of being rescued by a conductor, a guide on the railroad, and carried off to freedom in Canada. Toby will be decoding the secret messages contained in the spirituals in Hear Freedom’s Ring.
Tickets cost $200 and are available at the Queen’s Hall Box Office from August 26 to 30 from noon to 6 pm.