“I’m hopeful that people will leave this year’s concert feeling hope,” says Stacie Clayton, founder and director of the annual Community Gospel Choir concerts, which have been held in honor of Black History Month almost every February since 2005.  The Choir is made up of community members of all races and backgrounds, from Somerville, Medford, and neighboring towns.

Clayton explains, “Given the instability that our country is now experiencing, the theme of this year’s gospel concert is ‘Trouble Don’t Last.’  I want this concert to be a voice of hope that comes from knowing that what we are now going through is a cyclical part of our growing pains as a nation, to help us recognize that we need each other as a community, and to fortify us to work harder for our growth as a nation.”

This year’s Community Gospel Choir Concert will take place on Sunday, February 22, at 3 p.m. at the Somerville Community Baptist Church, 31 College Avenue, two blocks from Davis Square. The concert is free, family-friendly, and will appeal to all ages.  The singers will be accompanied by an ensemble of professional jazz musicians, and the concert will be emceed by Medford’s former Poet Laureate, Terry E. Carter.  For more information, see www.ilovescbc.org.