LENOX, MA. — The Cantilena Chamber Choir will present its annual Martin Luther King Concert at Trinity Church on Sunday, January 18, at 3 p.m. Special guests include the award-winning youth group Chorus Angelicus from Torrington, CT. Dr. King will be remembered in a combined-choir performance featuring the choral music of composer Paul Halley and spirituals by Moses Hogan and William Dawson. For the fifth year, the Berkshire Eagle will sponsor a Martin Luther King student essay contest. The winners will be present to read their entries.
This year’s concert will commemorate the 86th anniversary of Marian Anderson’s historic concert at the Lincoln Memorial on Easter Sunday, April 9, 1939, a pivotal moment in American civil rights history. The renowned African American contralto had been scheduled to perform at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., but the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), which owned the venue, refused to allow her to perform there because of her race. This decision sparked national outrage. The featured music on the program will be choral arrangements of spirituals sung by Anderson at the event. Also, a live recording of the original broadcast speech by Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes will be played.
Chorus Angelicus was founded in 1991 by Grammy Award-winning composer and keyboardist Paul Halley. Its current director is Dr. Gabriel Löfvall, an Argentinian pianist and singer. Chorus Angelicus comprises four choral ensembles involving more than seventy children ranging from Kindergarten through 12th grade from throughout southwestern New England. It has performed at venues including Boston’s Symphony Hall, the Music Shed in Norfolk, CT, the Warner Theater in Torrington, CT, and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. It has performed several times in various venues in Great Barrington over the years as well, including a concert with Ars Choralis this spring.

The Cantilena Chamber Choir, now in its 22nd season, is comprised of 24 dedicated singers of the highest caliber who possess vocal training, excellent sight-reading skills, and considerable choral experience. Its accolades include a multi-year Cultural Portfolio grant award from the Massachusetts Cultural Council for its annual Martin Luther King program and three Choral Arts New England Alfred Nash Patterson awards for innovative programming.