(Clarksdale, Miss.) — Coahoma Community College’s choral program has been invited to perform as part of the 200-voice Collegiate Honor Choir at the 2026 Southern Region Conference of the American Choral Directors Association, scheduled for March 4–7, 2026, in Memphis.
The ensemble will take part in the President’s Concert featuring Requiem for Colour: A Journey through Lament and Joy, composed by Dr. Jeffery L. Ames, professor at Belmont University and Southern Region president of ACDA. The performance will be led by renowned conductor Andre J. Thomas.
Dr. Kelvin Towers, Director of Choral Activities, says, "We are extremely honored to be hand-picked by two music extraordinaires to perform at the prestigious American Choral Directors Association Conference of the Southern Region. Our students have prepared thoroughly and look forward to learning from and studying under two choral legends."
Requiem for Colour is a 10-movement orchestral and choral work that traces the Black experience from West Africa to present-day America. Blending spirituals, jazz, R&B, hip-hop and gospel within the Western classical tradition, the composition by Dr. Ames reflects on enslavement, civil rights struggles and the resilience and accomplishments of African Americans.
The work recently received national recognition, earning three MidSouth Emmy Awards from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences at a Feb. 14 ceremony held at Belmont’s Fisher Center for the Performing Arts.
Awards included:
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Entertainment — Dr. Jeffery Ames, Dr. Doyuen Ko and Nic Dugger
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Musical Composition/Arrangement — Dr. Jeffery Ames
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Audio Recording, Mixing and Design — Dr. Doyuen Ko and Brian Losch
The 2026 President’s Concert will feature the Collegiate Honor Choir alongside the Belmont Chorale and the Belmont University Symphony Orchestra. Participating institutions were selected based on consistent program quality and demonstrated commitment to preparing the large-scale work.
The invitation places Coahoma Community College among a select group of collegiate programs showcased at one of the South’s premier gatherings of choral directors and music educators, offering students the opportunity to perform an award-winning work of significant historical and cultural scope on a regional stage.
Rehearsals began on March 4, with the President’s Concert scheduled for March 6. Coahoma will join other institutions: Belmont University, Tennessee State University, and Mississippi Valley State University.