After Decades of Creative Leadership, BU Choir Director and Arts Administration Alum Retires from Post
Creative endeavors don’t just happen on their own. They require drive, imagination, and, when pursued in a collaborative fashion, leadership.
For 20 years, Herbert Jones (MET’17) has served as director of the Inner Strength Gospel Choir, which gives the BU community space and opportunity to gather in song at Marsh Chapel.
Herbert Jones (MET’17)
Jones has done more than organize meetings and performances in his role—he’s inspired the group, brought stirring performances out of his singers, and helped many students feel at home at BU in ways they might not have otherwise. He even writes and arranges music for the group.
Now, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the choir’s founding, Jones has elected to step down from his post to clear the way for fresh leadership. To honor the impact of his tenure at the head of this storied University institution, Jones was featured in BU Today, with many members of the choir and BU community attesting to the role he played in their lives.
Robert Allen Hill, dean of Marsh Chapel, recalled the experience of seeing the Inner Strength Gospel Choir performances Jones led.
“He and his choir brought heaven closer, and made the maladies of the week shrink. I went home smiling,” Hill said. “Herb has been a real true gift to Marsh Chapel and Boston University.”
While Jones is moving on from his role with the choir, he will still be playing a major role in helping to connect creative people with outlets where they can channel their efforts. At BU MET, Jones got his Master of Science in Arts Administration, and he works as senior program manager of internships at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts.
Visit BU Today for testimonials about Jones’s tenure as choir director and the sanctuary his program offered to those in need.