Dr. André Thomas, Director of Choral Activities at Florida State University and Festival Artistic Director of Music Celebrations International’s 2007 Beijing International Choral Festival has recently conducted a special “Unity in the Community” concert to honor the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Here is an excerpt from an article in the Tallahassee Democrat by Mark Hinson.

…The “Unity” concert, which is held in honor of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., is the brainchild of Tallahassee’s choral mastermind, Andre Thomas. The performers include the Community Chorus, the FAMU Concert Choir, the Florida State University Singers, Salsa Florida, African musician Damascus Kafumbe and performers from the Muskogee Creek Indian Tribe East of the Mississippi.

“In Atlanta, the Atlanta Symphony on the 13th of January has a tribute to Martin Luther King Jr.,” Thomas explained in an e-mail to the Democrat. “In Minneapolis, Vocal Essence does a concert titled ‘Witness.’ The arts organizations in Tallahassee have not really embraced this idea.”

Until now.

The program puts its multiculturalism and ethnic diversity where its 370 mouths are. The music includes “Gospel Mass” by Robert Ray, a Jewish song, a Muslim call to prayer, Latin-American music, the “Kyrie: Call to Prayer” from “African Sanctus” and Native American music.

“The concert is really Dr. Thomas’ vision. He’s the visionary,” Napoles said. “A lot of Martin Luther King concerts and events are mostly just black and white. Dr. Thomas wanted it to be much more than that. He’s the one who wanted to open it up into something larger.”

Thomas is the director of choral activities at FSU as well as the conductor of the Community Chorus. With Thomas at the helm, the Community Chorus has worked with such famed musical figures as Polish conductor Krzystof Penderecki, singer Bobby McFerrin and the late choral-conducting legend Robert Shaw. The chorus also has performed in Carnegie Hall and will travel to Prague in 2007.

“The Community Chorus has 210 members and about 100 of those are students,” Napoles said. “So there’s a real mix. It’s a real bridge between the community and the universities. . . . It’s also fun. I’ve been in the choir since I was an undergraduate.”

Napoles is a mezzo-soprano who will be both traffic cop and performer on Tuesday.

“Oh, I can’t wait (to sing),” said Napoles, who grew up in Miami with Cuban parents. “I hope this catches on to become an annual concert.”