African American composers, poets, and hymnographers join musicians from multiple traditions for events exploring the intersections between African American and Orthodox sacred music.

We will open the concert with Bright Sadness, Orthodox hymns based on African American spirituals by the nun Mother Katherine Weston. The second half features Vespers: How Sweet the Sound by jazz musician and composer Dr. Shawn Wallace. Drawing on both Black Gospel and Orthodox musical settings, How Sweet the Sound highlights the connections between these traditions in a setting of Orthodox Vespers. To Learn more visit: https://cappellaromana.org/