The Chattanooga Spiritual Ensemble, founded in 2021 by Artistic Director Harv Wileman, presents "Vocal Music of the African Diaspora" Sunday at 3 p.m. at First Christian Church, 650 McCallie Ave.
This 30-voice semi-professional ensemble of singers from greater Chattanooga, Nashville, and Atlanta will sing choral and solo arrangements of African-American spirituals by Margaret Bonds, Roland Carter, Lee Cloud, R. Nathaniel Dett, Jacqueline Hairston, Moses Hogan, Undine S. Moore, and William Grant Still.
Opera selections include music from Scott Joplin's Treemonisha and Richard Danielpour's Margaret Garner (to a libretto by Toni Morrison). Art songs by Rosephanye Powell and Adolphus Hailstork will also be featured.
Soloists include sopranos Tess Varlack and Kayla Wilson; sopranist Jeron Devonté; mezzo-sopranos Neshawn Calloway and Nicole Ellis; tenors Travis Stanton and Harv Wileman; baritone Vincent Hale; and bass LaFrederick Thirkill
This concert, made possible by a grant from ArtsBuild, is free and open to the public.