CLC Choir to Perform at Gospel Fest

Celebrate Black History Month at the 27th Annual Salute to Gospel Music Program on Saturday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. at the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan. The featured performers are The Canton Spirituals and Pastor DeAndre Patterson.

The first half of the program will include a welcome by Jerry Weber, College of Lake County president, and Alphonso Baldwin, dean of the CLC Lakeshore Campus; a Black Student Union Member’s look at “The CLC Experience” and a special performance of The Juneteenth Historical Re-Enactment by Kingdom Works Productions. Stephanie R. Lezine, founder and CEO of Kingdom Works Productions, is an aspiring playwright, author and poet.

Lezine wrote, directed and produced the hit gospel stage play “Light of Samaritan.” Also performing will be the CLC Gospel Choir, under the direction of Charles Clency, and the Word of Life Ministries choir of Beach Park. The 2011 Harambee Awards of Excellence will be presented to the Apostle Ernest Taylor and Prophetess Barbara Taylor of Word of Life Ministries Church. After intermission, the two headline acts will perform.

The Canton Spirituals feature Harvey Watkins Jr., an accomplished Grammy® Award-nominated gospel quartet. They have paved the way for many other gospel groups. Founded in Canton, Miss.,  the original group included the songwriter/singer, Harvey Watkins Sr., who began to sing in the group at the age of 14. The Canton Spirituals has remained the number one gospel music quartet in the country.

Presently, The Canton Spirituals members (Wallace Strickland, Victor Allen, Ralph Loften, Michael Richardson, Merlin Lucious, Cornelius Dwayne Watkins and Rufus Mapp) are under the direction of Harvey Watkins Jr. 

He took over since the passing of Harvey Watkins Sr. in 1994. The Canton Spirituals have won numerous awards, including Group/Duo of the Year and Traditional group/duo at the 13th annual Stellar Awards. Their album, “Live in Memphis I,” received a Grammy® nomination.

The other headliner will be song writer and twice Stellar Award-nominated recording artist Pastor DeAndre Patterson of Chicago. He serves as senior pastor of Destiny Worship Center, assistant pastor of Miracle Revival Center COGIC and is a radio personality on WGRB 1390 AM, Chicago.

Returning as mistress of ceremonies is Effie Rolfe. She is a media host, radio personality, host of “V103 Get Your Praise On,” on Sunday mornings and author of “The (K)Nots Prayer Journal” and “Supersize Your Thinking, Manifest Your Dreams.”

Tickets are $19 for the general public and $17 for CLC Staff, Students, Alumni, Seniors and children 12 and under. Tickets are available at the CLC Lakeshore Campus, by calling (847) 543-2191, at the CLC Box Office by calling (847) 543-2300 or at www.geneseetheatre.com.

For groups of 30 or more, tickets may be purchased at $4 off the general admission price of $19 and ticket holders may attend a private, pre-show reception. Each group or organization is entitled to reassign the price of the tickets and keep all proceeds raised above the discounted price. For groups of 20 or more, tickets may be purchased at $3 off the general admission price of $19. For information on group tickets and discounts, call the CLC Lakeshore Campus Special Projects office at (847) 543-2112.