Leaders
Emorja Roberson, Director
In May 2017, Roberson became the first African-American to graduate with a Master of Sacred Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Notre Dame. Currently, Roberson is a student of Dr. Mark Doerries and is the first African-American student in the Doctor of Musical Arts program to study Choral Conducting with a focus in African-American repertoire.
January 2018, Roberson’s compositions, “I Need Your Presence” and “Lord, I Am Grateful” were debuted by the South Bend Symphony Orchestra under the batons of Dr. Marvin Curtis and Dr. Alastair Willis. Roberson was the first place winner for the 2018 American Negro Spirituals competition and performed at Severance Hall in Cleveland, OH. In 2019, the South Bend Symphony Orchestra will debuted Roberson’s recently recorded, “God Is My Refuge” and “Trust In The Lord” at the Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration.
In June 2019, he made his national debut on Season 9 of BET’s Sunday Best competition as a top 20 contestant. In June 2019, he made his national debut on Season 9 of BET’s Sunday Best competition as a top 20 contestant, and in March 2020, his recent composition, "Seek Ye First" from The Evening Musicale (2019), was featured on Sirius XM 64 (Kirk Franklin's Praise). Roberson is the recipient of the 2020 Song of the Year award and the 2020 People’s Choice Award with Independent Gospel Artist Alliance Award. He is the Director of Voices of Faith Gospel Choir and the Founder/Host for Black@ND.
Connor Patrick, President
Connor Patrick is extremely honored to be serving as President for the Voices of Faith Gospel Choir this year. He is a rising sophomore from Albany, New York living in Dillon Hall. He is majoring in Philosophy and Global Affairs with minors in Liturgical Music, Portuguese, and Digital Marketing. He is also involved in other initiatives on campus such as College Mentors for Kids, Student Government, ND Athletics Fan Advisory Council, and more. In addition to singing, he plays the piano and organ. Connor is extremely proud to be a member of the Voices family and believes that despite how different this semester will be, the choir will be able to overcome these challenges together and grow in faith and unity.
Julia McKenna, Vice President
Julia is a sophomore studying Sociology with minors in Data Science and Linguistics. Originally from South Bend, she now resides in Cavanaugh Hall. Outside of class, she's a member of the Varsity fencing team and serves as an undergraduate research fellow for the Institute for Advanced Study. She plays piano and enjoys singing and growing with the Voices of Faith community!