EDITORIAL: Sons of Jubal to bring unique performance to area stage

Published 4:00 pm Tuesday, February 25, 2020

The internationally acclaimed, 250-voiced men’s chorus, Sons of Jubal, will present a free concert at the Talmage Auditorium of Rock Eagle in Eatonton on Thursday. 

Preludes begin at 6:30 p.m. By then, the 1,200 seat auditorium is likely to be well on the way to being full, as this group often draws an overflow crowd. The choral concert begins at 7 p.m. 

Members of Sons of Jubal come from Baptist churches in every corner of Georgia. Many are ministers of music of Georgia Baptist churches, while others are pastors or those who serve in other capacities. Their purpose is to proclaim the Gospel throughout Georgia and to the ends of the earth through the universal language of music. They travel at their own expense to present a series of concerts across the state and around the world. Several members are from the Milledgeville area: Michael Wells is music minister with Grace Fellowship Church in Greensboro. Jimmy Long, their pastor, sings with the group, and Rick Cook plays trumpet in the Jubal Brass. Billy Sutton is minister of music with Milledgeville’s Northside Baptist Church, and John Cotten, retired from full-time ministry with First Baptist Milledgeville and serving part-time with First Baptist Church of Eatonton.

Sons of Jubal is the largest group of Americans invited into North Korea since the Korean Conflict ended in 1953. They had been warned that they would not be allowed to sing of their Christian faith since such things are illegal there. Instead, they were invited to sing popular songs from Broadway musicals and movies, and the music of classical composers such as Beethoven and Brahms. Knowing North Koreans’ love for fine music, the group trained hard to prepare a strong program of just such music, but they went a step beyond. Working with South Korean missionaries, they also learned to sing in excellent Korean three of North Korea’s most cherished folk songs. This so impressed their leaders that they laid aside their country’s laws prohibiting such music and allowed the group of Georgia Baptists to sing songs such as “Amazing Grace” and “Battle Hymn of the Republic” in the very heart of the Communist nation’s capital, Pyongyang. As they sang, they could hear the audiences humming quietly along with them. The Korean peninsula had been highly Christianized before the division of the country in 1948, and though it is officially outlawed, the underground church there is said to be thriving despite the persecution.  

Sons of Jubal has also shared their music in places like Moldova, Russia, Israel, England, France, and Germany. A free-will offering will be received at the Rock Eagle concert to help with the group’s next overseas project, soon to be announced.

These internationally-acclaimed musical talents will bring a unique experience to an area stage later this week — and, what’s more special, a few familiar faces will be among the performers. 

Make plans to attend this special performance and share in their musical gifts.