Founded in 1976 and based in Baton Rouge, HERITAGE is a nonprofit professional choral ensemble directed by Clarence Jones. For five decades, the group has been committed to preserving the Negro Spiritual as a distinctive American art form rooted in the struggles, faith and aspirations of African ancestors, while sharing that legacy with audiences near and far.
This Saturday, Feb. 7, the unforgettable ensemble is celebrating 50 years of lifting the sound and spirit of the Negro Spiritual, marking the milestone with its 35th Annual Festival of Negro Spirituals at Shiloh Baptist Church, 185 Eddie Robinson Sr. Drive, Baton Rouge. The 3pm concert is free and open to the public.
The festival, hosted annually since 1991, brings together community and university choirs for an afternoon centered on this enduring musical tradition. Scheduled performers include New Dimensions Choral of Shreveport; Acadiana Ecumenical Choir of Lafayette; The Music Club of Baton Rouge; the Grambling State University Concert Choir; the Southern University Concert Choir of Baton Rouge; and HERITAGE…