Ysaye Maria Barnwell

Ysaye Maria Barnwell (born February 28, 1946) is an American singer and composer. Barnwell was a member of the African American a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock from 1979 to 2013.

In addition to writing many of the group's songs, A female bass, she conducts music workshops around the United States, UK, Canada and Australia, including a workshop she created called "Building a Vocal Community: Singing in the African American Tradition". In 1977, she founded the Jubilee Singers, a choir at All Souls Church, Unitarian in Washington, DC.

Barnwell was raised in New York City in Harlem and later in Jamaica, Queens. The daughter of a violinist, Barnwell began her 15 year study of the violin with her father at the age of 2 ½.

Barnwell earned bachelor's and master's degrees (1967 and 1968) in speech pathology from State University of New York at Geneseo, and a PhD (1975) in speech pathology from the University of Pittsburgh. In 1981, she also earned a Master of Science in Public health, from Howard University.

Barnwell spent over a decade as a professor at Howard University's College of Dentistry. Afterwards, she turned to community based projects in computer technology and the arts. She also directed health programs in Washington, D.C. at Children's Hospital National Medical Center and Gallaudet University.

While attending All Souls Church, Unitarian, Dr. Barnwell noticed that the racial makeup of the choir did not reflect that of the congregation. This led her to found the Jubilee Singers in 1977, which she directed for three years. Her work with the Jubilee singers led her to begin arranging and composing music for vocal ensembles. She produced Sweet Honey in the Rock's 1998 25th anniversary album, ...Twenty-Five..., and edited Continuum: The First Songbook of Sweet Honey in the Rock.

Barnwell's acting credits include a principal role on a television series called A Man Called Hawk; she also appeared in the 1998 film Beloved. She released a solo recording of stories and song, Um Humm, in 2000.

She wrote a children's book with CD, No Mirrors in My Nana's House. A second children's book and CD set was released in March 2008: We Are One.

Barnwell was named after the great Belgian violinist, Eugène Ysaÿe.