The West Jersey Chamber Music Society will present “African American Spirituals – A Musical Celebration of African American History and Heritage” at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 22.
The event – to be held at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church on West Main Street – will feature the West Jersey Chamber Chorale performing timeless spirituals that honor the legacy of African American ancestors and celebrate the resilience, faith and artistry of the uniquely American spirituals tradition.
Spirituals are African American religious songs that evolved in the context of slavery, primarily in the South, according to the nonprofit Ballad of America, whose mission is to preserve and celebrate music from America’s diverse cultural history.
Spirituals combine elements of European American religious music with African musical characteristics. Their influence can be felt in virtually all subsequent forms of American music, including jazz, gospel, blues, rhythm and blues, country, rock and roll and hip-hop.
“Spirituals are the most authentic American music that has become classical,” said Joel Krott, who has led the music society since its 1980 inception. “Classical in the sense that it doesn’t go out of phase … I preserve them (spirituals) as much as I can because of their inherent value, and because they belong with classical repertoire.”
The society is a professional choir and orchestra committed to producing quality chamber music concerts that are easily accessible to residents and others in the region. Its grand finale – “J.S. Bach: Master of Instruments and Voice!” – will take place at the First Presbyterian Church of Moorestown on Sunday, April 19, at 7:30 p.m.
The West Jersey Chamber Orchestra will join featured soloists Vikram Joshi (harpsichord), Sophia Santiago (soprano), Nozomi Imamura (trumpet) and Edward Schultz (flute) in some of Bach’s most celebrated works, including the “Concerto for Harpsichord in F Minor (BWV 1056),” the “Suite in B Minor for Flute and Strings (BWV 1067)” and the “Cantata Jauchzet Gott in Allen Landen (BWV 51).”
The 2025-’26 season will mark the music society’s 40 years of bringing affordable, classical music performances to audiences. Past productions have presented works by Mozart, Haydn, Dvorak, Chopin, Liszt, Ravel, Rachmaninoff, Stravinsky and several lesser-known composers.
For more information on the society or for concert tickets, visit www.wjcms.org.
