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28 GUIDE TO YELLOW SPR INGS | 2021– 2022 SINGING FOR OUR LIVES By CAROL S IMMONS T he name of the locally based World House Choir, which had its beginnings in 2012 and its official public launch in 2013, is rooted in a directive from the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. about the necessity of creat- ing a “world house” in which we all live together in peace and justice. “The name refers to the choice each person must make — to live in community or chaos, particularly in a nation where racial stereo - types remain strong and multiculturalism a work-in- progress” according to the choir’s website. Founded by the Rev. Der- The World House Choir, under the direction of Catherine Roma, rehearses in September 2019 with members of the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company for a series of performances featuring “Missa Gaia,” by Paul Winter. | PHOTO BY CAROL S IMMONS rick Weston, then director of the Coretta Scott King Center at Antioch College and the minister at YS Presbyterian Church, with Catherine Roma, an emerita professor of music at Wilmington College and the founder and longtime direc - tor, now retired, of MUSE: Cincinnati Women’s Choir, the nascent group focused on promoting peace and justice through song. The founding mission state- ment reflects its intent: “To perform music that motivates and inspires our communi- ties toward justice, diversity and equality as we strive for peace and to create our web of mutuality.” While Weston moved away in 2013, the choir continued to grow under Roma’s direc- tion. Before the pandemic WORLD HOUSE CHOIR