Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Chorus
The Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Chorus is a volunteer community chorus assembled and prepared by William Henry Caldwell.
In January 1980, The Cleveland Orchestra’s presented its first Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Concert. This annaul presentation, jointly presented with the City of Cleveland since 1986, focuses on musical performance as a tribute to Dr. King and as an expression of commitment to the struggle for racial justice and human dignity.
From 1987 to 1997, the annual King concert took place at Cory United Methodist Church, the site of Dr. King’s last speech in Cleveland. The concert returned to Severance Hall in 1998 and again in 2000 as part of the re-opening festivities following the Hall’s restoration. Severance Hall has continued to host the concert since that time.
Beginning with the 1989 concert, a chorus of community volunteers from the greater Cleveland area has been assembled for this concert each year. Originally called the Community Gospel Choir and now called the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Chorus, the group was initially organized annually by Alvin Parris. William Henry Caldwell has taken on the role of chorus director in recent years. Other choral participants over the past three decades have included the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, Prestonian Choral Ensemble, Morgan State University Choir, Shaw High School Concert Choir, Everett Moore Singers, and the Central State University Chorus.
Membership each year in the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Chorus is open to singers and church choir members from throughout Northeast Ohio, with a requirement to attend all rehearsals.
