By Dr. David A. McConnell
Vox Philia’s annual Black History Month concert will be held on Saturday, Feb. 28, at 4 p.m., at Immanuel UCC, 99 S. Waverly St., Shillington. This year’s concert involves several choirs and directors from Berks County and beyond:
- Vox Philia and Penn State Berks Campus Choir – David McConnell, conductor
- Kutztown University Choir – Derrick Thompson, conductor
- Muhlenberg College Choir – Victoria Pitre, conductor
- Wilson High School Choir – Emily Fredericks, conductor
- Schuylkill Valley High School Valley Voices – Jarrod Miller, conductor
- Berks Youth Chorus: MasterSingers – Dan Behler, conductor; and the combined Chorale and Choristers – Grace Mittleman and Michael Adams Megan, conductors
The choirs join for several selections, including the regional premiere of Nathaniel Dett’s “The Chariot Jubilee.” Written in 1919, “The Chariot Jubilee” sets a text assembled by Dett from the Bible, Black spirituals, and folk songs, performed by a solo tenor, choir, and small instrumental ensemble. Both the tenor and ensemble are from Kutztown University, all under the direction of the school’s Director of Choral Activities, Dr. Derrick Thompson. After its premiere, the orchestral score was lost, but in the 1980s, scholar Hale Smith recreated the orchestral parts, which eventually led to a new premiere by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in 1998. The remainder of the program features a wide-ranging selection of works highlighting the brilliance of historic and contemporary Black composers and writers.
Join Vox Philia on Sunday, Feb. 28, 2026, at 4 p.m., at Immanuel UCC, 99 S. Waverly St., Shillington. Tickets are $15.00 per adult and $5.00 per student. Purchase your tickets online now at buytickets.at/voxphilia/2025363 or at the door.
Vox Philia Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit chamber choir serving the Reading and Berks County communities. To learn more, visit facebook.com/VoxPhilia.
