A concert of Slave Songs and Spirituals will be held beginning at 5 p.m. April 16. at Mt. Zion Baptist Church, 100 Second St. and River Road in St. Rose.
The concert is part of the year-long commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the 1811 Slave Revolt coordinated by the River Road Historical Society and Destrehan Plantation.
Sponsors of the event are the St. Charles Parish Department of Economic Development and Tourism and Shell Chemicals/Motiva.
The Rev. Issiah Franklin Jr. of Mt. Zion Church will provide the opening prayer. In addition, Dr. Rosanne Adderley will speak on the 1811 Slave Revolt.
Dr. Willis C. Patterson, professor emeritus of voice and associate dean of music of the University of Michigan School of Music will provide the concert narration. Performers hail from Southern University in Baton Rouge and also will include professors Charles Lloyd Jr., Jacqueline Paige-Green and Richard Hobson.
The 40-member Southern University Concert Choir and the Community Chorus of the River Parishes will also perform under the direction of Brian Martinez Jr.
The program is packed with African-American art songs and negro spirituals. It will be a wonderful educational experience for all to enjoy.
Admission is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Destrehan Plantation at (985) 764-9315.
