Return to Community: A Sunday Gospel Jazz Service Luncheon

No registration is necessary however,you may join the Facebook event to receive reminders.

RAIN AND INCLEMENT WEATHER This event will be held rain or shine! For the luncheon, large event tents will protect everyone from the rain. In the event of inclement weather, attendees will be directed to a safe location. Overflow Viewing If we reach capacity (1,000 attendees), overflow viewing of the event will be available in the large event tents. In the event of inclement weather, outdoor viewers will be directed to a safe location. Join the

Community Chorus: All interested in participating in the community choir may contact Cora Thomas at cathomas@syr.edu or Hendricks Chapel atchapel@syr.eduor 315.443.2901.

Parking: Free parking is available at the Hillside Lot, in the Irving Garage, and in Waverly Garage. SU trolleys/shuttles will run continuously between Irving Garage (pick up on the JMA Dome side) and Hendricks Chapel, beginning at 11:30 A.M. For parking maps, visit: https://parking.syr.edu/visitors-to-campus/lot-directions-and-maps/   

Accessibility:

For accessible parking, please call Hendricks Chapel at 315.443.2901 or email chapel@syr.edu.

CART, ASL and Aira will be offered at this event.

Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) is the instant translation of the spoken word into English text using a stenotype machine, notebook computer and real-time software. This is useful for English speakers who are hard of hearing or deaf.

An American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter translates a service or program for those who know ASL and are deaf or hard of hearing.

Aira is a visual interpreting service that makes visual information accessible for people who are blind or have low vision, or for any person with a disability who may benefit from verbal descriptions of visual information.Syracuse University is a proud Aira Access Partner. SU makes Aira visual interpreting services available to our community of students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni, and visitors on campus at no cost. Interpreters audibly describe a person's visual surroundings via a live professionally-trained agent and the Aira Explorer mobile app.

Winston-Salem State University Choir

The Grammy-nominated Winston-Salem State University Choir (aka WSSU Singing Rams) is the oldest student organization on the campus of Winston-Salem State University. There is evidence to prove that the institution of the choir predates the Department of Music, of which it is now a part.   The University Choir is now under the leadership and baton of Maestra D'Walla Simmons Burke.  This University Choir has performed commissioned works, such as On Imagination and I Too (Undine Smith Moore), Recent Reflections on Deep River (Michael Williams), Come Sunday (arr. S. Van Dixon), Hold On and Oh, What a Beautiful City (arr. Stacey Gibbs), to name a few. Under the leadership of Maestra Simmons-Burke, the Winston-Salem State University Choir has traveled both nationally and internationally. 

The Black Celestial Choral Ensemble (BCCE) of Syracuse University

Founded in 1977 by Rev. Dr. Seretta C. McKnight to provide a spiritual home for Black students at Syracuse University, the Black Celestial Choral Ensemble (BCCE) ministers through Gospel music that fosters and supports academic excellence at a university welcoming to all. Led by student director Joshua Garvin '25 and supported through The Alumni Group (TAG) of the BCEE, the choir has performed at numerous venues throughout North America, including the Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church (Atlanta, GA), the spiritual home of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and currently led by Rev. Dr. Senator Raphael Warnock.
 

Gospel Jazz Community Choir

To honor the Sunday Gospel Jazz Service theme of ‚Return to Community‚a diverse community choir composed of Syracuse area residents will once again be led by Cora Thomas, known locally as ‚Syracuse's First Lady of Gospel Music.‚Born and raised in Syracuse, Thomas serves on numerous community organizations and hosts ‚Sunday Morning Gospel‚on WAER 88.3 of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. All interested in participating in the community choir may contact Cora Thomas at cathomas@syr.edu or Hendricks Chapel at chapel@syr.edu or 315.443.2901.

Pre-Event Outdoor Welcome Luncheon

To express the Sunday Gospel Jazz Service theme of ‚Return to Community,‚a pre-event outdoor welcome luncheon, featuring free food and refreshments, will take place on the Kenneth A. Shaw Quadrangle of Syracuse University from 12:30 PM-2:30 PM. At 2:30 PM, the first 1,000 guests will be ushered into Hendricks Chapel for the 3:00 PM Sunday Gospel Jazz Service start time.

Syracuse International Jazz Fest

For additional information on the 2026 Syracuse International Jazz Fest, please visit syracusejazzfest.com.