Community Choir Offers Songs and Scholarships for College Students

By Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware | Word In Black (WIB) – When the audience gathers at Grace United Methodist Church for the annual Spring concert of the Community Concert Choir of Baltimore (CCCB), they will hear the music of the church sung by more than 150 singers, along with exquisite musicians and directors. But they will also be part of a grander project to provide dollars for youth programs and students who might otherwise not be able to attend college. With the help of The Big Sisters Club of Baltimore and the Alpha Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., the choir offers major support to as many young people as possible, more than 100 over its 14 years of existence.& “I’m honored as director of the choir to celebrate the rich music of the African-American church tradition and to raise funds to uplift students across the community,” says Dr. Marco K. Merrick, CCCB’s founding director. “It’s also an honor to have these wonderful organizations partner in this signature concert while also enabling positive educational opportunities for our students,” he says. Merrick has been a music influencer in the Baltimore region for more than 40 years, beginning his career...