Tuesday, February 11, 2025

Norfolk will honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. this way

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speaks at an anti-Vietnam War rally at the University of Minnesota in 1967. (Wikimedia Commons)

NORFOLK — The public is invited to pay tribute to the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with two free, community events planned in his honor.

The Virginia Symphony, in partnership with the city, will present “Songs for a Dreamer – A Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” according to a news release from the city.

The free concert features orchestral and vocal performances that honor the legacy of MLK.

The concert will be on Jan. 20 at 7 p.m. at Second Calvary Baptist Church 2940 Corprew Ave.

The multimedia concert will feature musicians of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, as well as performances from NSU’s Vocal Jazz Ensemble, led by director Frank T. Elliott, city officials said.

The NSU Vocal Jazz Ensemble combines song, dance, improvisation, and collaborative ingenuity, resulting in an extraordinary show choir that exhibits an alluring sensitivity for the jazz idiom.

The ensemble will be performing “There Is A Balm” and “Glory” from the movie “Selma”.

This concert will also feature soloists Eden Crumbly and Stephanie Saunders, explained the city.

A highlight of the evening will be the presentation of the VSO’s annual Dreamer Award to Norfolk native Thomas Wilkins a Booker T. Washington High School graduate.

Wilkins studied at the Shenandoah Conservatory of Music and the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston before embarking on successful career as an orchestral conductor.

The city will host its annual ceremony honoring the Dr. King, Jr., on Monday, Jan. 21 at 10 a.m. at the Attucks Theatre 1010 Church St.

Doors open at 9 a.m.

Following the ceremony, the public is invited to march to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial for a wreath-laying ceremony.

For information on Songs for a Dreamer, call 757-892-6366 or visit virginiasymphony.org.

For information on the MLK ceremony, call 757-664-4253 or visit Norfolk.gov.

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