Berea College’s annual Festival of Spirituals will be Saturday, Feb. 24 in Gray Auditorium at Presser Hall. The all-day event includes a combination of free workshops, recitals and concerts featuring presentations and performances led by members of the Berea College Music Department faculty and guest artists including Diane White-Clayton, Patrice Turner, Shareese Arnold, Nyghél Byrd, Lindsay Clavere, Gabriel Evans and James Dreiling and Combo.
Activities begin at 9 a.m. in Presser Hall Music Building on Berea’s campus, with sessions on spirituals and African American composers.
At noon, a recital of spirituals and African American art songs by African-American composers will be performed by Berea College music faculty members and guest artists. The recital will feature works by Dr. Diane White-Clayton.
A Choral Workshop and Festival Chorus will take place from 2-5:30 p.m. at Union Church. These choral sessions are open to all. The workshop participants, expected to number approximately 200 people, will learn selected songs that will be performed as the culmination of the evening concert to be sung as a Festival Chorus.
The Evening Concert will begin at 7 p.m. at Union Church, which is adjacent to the Berea College campus. Performers will Include choruses from regional schools and churches as well as guest artists.
The Festival of Spirituals is open to the public, so everyone is welcome to attend all sessions and concerts and to participate in the Festival chorus.
For more information, please contact 859-985-3466 or visit the Music Department’s website.