The Expressions of Faith Gospel Choir of St. James Episcopal Church of Baltimore, Md. (the third oldest African American parish in the Episcopal church), is set to visit the Adirondacks July 28-29. The Choir will present a floating concert along Blue Mountain Lake on Saturday and a concert and church service Sunday at the historic Church of the Transfiguration, Blue Mountain Lake.

The Expressions of Faith Choir was founded by the Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church.

The floating concert will begin as the choir’s boat departs the Blue Mountain Lake Boat Livery pier at 3:20 pm Saturday. The choir will make brief stops along the lake (Prospect Point, The Hedges, Hemlock Hall) to sing and will conclude the tour at 5 pm at the town beach with a 20-minute performance.

Then on Sunday, the choir will perform a 20-minute concert beginning at 9:30 at the Church of the Transfiguration, Blue Mountain Lake, followed by a gospel mass of spirituals and praise from 10 to 11 am. A coffee hour will follow with opportunity to meet the choir.

Joining the choir on its Adirondack visit as guest director is Dr. Marco K. Merrick. Merrick is a founding member of The Open Church of Maryland, an inclusive congregation devoted to social justice peace and love, as well as Founding Director of the Community Concert Choir of Baltimore, a nearly 200 voice ecumenical choir. He is a member of the Choir Directors and Organists Guild of the Hampton Ministers Conference and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, the nation’s oldest music fraternity. He served on the piano faculty at the Nathan Carter School of Music and is called upon as a music consultant and to facilitate workshops and retreats, including directing the National ACT-SO Chorus during the NAACP Convention.

This event is made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts Decentralization Regrant Program. In Hamilton County, the Regrant Program is administered by the Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts located in Blue Mountain Lake.

Photo of Faith Gospel Choir provided.