University of Missouri–St. Louis alum Maria A. Ellis leads members of the Voices of Jubilation community gospel choir in a rehearsal last week, ahead of their Nov. 7 debut performance as part of the Robert Ray Tribute Concert in Anheuser-Busch Performance Hall at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center.
The new choir, formed this semester, is open to all UMSL faculty, staff, students and alumni as well as community members and rehearses each Tuesday from 7-9 p.m. in the Whitaker Room at the Touhill.
Voices of Jubilation will help celebrate the life and music of longtime UMSL Professor of Piano and renowned conductor and composer Robert Ray during the Nov. 7 tribute concert. Ray passed away last December at the age of 76. The concert will also feature UMSL music department ensembles performing Ray’s Gospel Mass and He Never Failed Me Yet, and the audience will hear world premieres from award-winning composers Rollo Dilworth and Evan Williams. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. and is part of the UMSL Music Fall Festival.
The festival will also include the All-Steinway Extravaganza on Nov. 9 and a concert featuring the Arianna String Quartet on Nov. 10.
This photograph was taken by UMSL photographer Derik Holtmann and is the latest to be featured in Eye on UMSL. View more UMSL photos by visiting the UMSL Flickr and Instagram accounts.
