University of West Alabama Choir holding concert on Feb. 21

Published 2:22 pm Monday, February 18, 2019

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The University of West Alabama Choir will perform their Legacy Concert: Still Waters Run Deep at Christian Chapel Baptist Church on Feb. 21 at 6 p.m. The free event is presented by the Marengo County Historical Society to celebrate Black History Month.

Still Water Runs Deep will represent multiple composers, most notably William Grant Still, who was active starting in the 1920s up until the early ‘60s. Still held a number of firsts under his belt, including first African-American to conduct a major American symphony orchestra, to have symphony performed by a leading orchestra and to have an opera performed by a major opera company.

“We’ve done some pieces with William Grant Still before, but this is the first concert to celebrate him as featured composer,” said Choir Director Christopher Shelt.

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Other composers that will be featured include Nathaniel Dett, Timothy Adams Jr., Charles Brown and Moses Hogan. As part of the concert, compositions will also be played on instruments such as the vibraphone, piano and concert snare drum.

“Some of the things we’ll be doing will be more chamber music as opposed to major works,” Shelt said, due to the size and resources of the UWA Choir.

The concert is expected to last approximately one hour.