Combined choruses of six Albany high schools to perform in black history concert

ALBANY — The 2nd annual Black History concert sponsored by the Albany Civil Rights Institute will be at 6:30 p.m. tonight at the historic Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, 325 Whitney Ave. The concert will feature the combined choruses of all four local Dougherty County public high schools, along with those of Deerfield-Windsor School and Sherwood Christian Academy.

“This will be a history-making event because it will be the first time that the choirs from the public and private schools will be combined in concert,” ACRI Executive Director W. Frank Wilson said.

According to Wilson, the choral directors from Albany High, Deerfield–Windsor, Dougherty, Monroe, Sherwood Christian and Westover have worked together and planned a concert that will be etched in the minds of both the performers and the audience.

“I know we are excited about the concert,” Sherwood Choral Director Ty Barnhill said. “We didn’t participate last year and I know that Monday is special for (SCA Headmaster Brian Dougherty).

According to Barnhill and Westover Choral Director Selena Bentley, the combined chorus will consist of around 65 students. The combined chorus will perform another seven selections. In addition to those seven, the chorus will be joined for two selections by the Freedom Singers, a group that on the second Saturday of each month takes visitors to the ACRI through an oral history presentation of the Albany Movement through stories and performances of freedom songs.

The two chorus directors said that the schools have held combined weekly rehearsals for more than a month.

“The last rehearsal with the Freedom Singers went really well,” Bentley said. “It’s not been a challenge at all. The kids also realize the historical significance of this concert.”

Bentley said she hopes that the event will foster a sense of community and possibly break down some barriers in the process.

“This concert can create a sense of unity in Albany and that is a neat feeling,” she said. “If there is one thing that can break down barriers, it’s music.”

The concert is free and open to the public.