Thomas Rutling · The Soda Fountain

Characters / Thomas Rutling

Thomas Rutling was a talented student at Fisk University during the years after the American Civil War. He joined Ella Sheppard, Benjamin Holmes, Phoebe Anderson, and other students in a choir formed by school treasurer George White. They first rehearsed hymns and cantatas, then shared spirituals preserved through generations of slavery. The group became the Jubilee Singers and traveled to raise urgently needed money for Fisk. As part of the choir, Thomas endured demanding rehearsals and the hardships of touring while helping audiences hear the sorrow, faith, and hope within the songs. His voice supported both the survival of the school and the preservation of an important musical heritage.

Appearances

3 episodes Art Text No.

3 of 3 0666 The Jubilee Singers With Fisk University on the brink of collapse, a weary group of student singers must decide whether to keep performing on a grueling tour that has cost them their health, their dignity, and nearly all hope.

2 of 3 0665 The Jubilee Singers A Fisk choir and their determined director set out on a perilous tour to sing their school out of debt, facing hostility and hardship at every stop.

1 of 3 0664 The Jubilee Singers When Olivia dismisses school as pointless, a portrait of Frederick Douglass introduces her to the students of a struggling university whose only hope may be the songs they carry.