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GUIDE TO YELLOW SPR INGS | 2021– 2022 29 temporarily halted the group’s activities, the membership had increased to more than 100 singers, ranging in age at various times from youth to nonagenarians. Striving to be ethnically, racially, politically and spiritually diverse, the choir welcomes singers from the extended area around Yellow Springs, including Dayton, Urbana, Springfield Cedarville, Middletown, Columbus and Cincinnati. “In my 40 years of con- ducting choirs, it’s been an important value of mine to bring people of different back - grounds and beliefs together,” Roma said in a 2018 interview. In a typical year, the choir prepares a September concert program that focuses on a specific social justice issue. Past themes have included climate disruption and immigration. In 2018, the choir performed an original oratorio, composed by frequent collaborator Steve Milloy, that celebrates the life of the late civil rights activist Bayard Rustin, who was an advi - sor to MLK and the principal organizer of the 1963 March on Washington, but was pushed to the shadows of the movement because of his homosexuality. The choir also regularly performs as part of the annual Yellow Springs Martin Luther King Day celebration as well as for other area events and activities, including social justice-related rallies, demon - strations and protests. Most years, the choir also has taken its MLK program into some of the area prisons. In addi- tion, the group has accepted invitations to sing at the TEDx conference in Dayton, Wilm- ington College’s Westheimer Peace Symposium, several annual International Peace Day events at Dayton’s Grace United Methodist Church, Coretta Scott King birthday celebrations at Antioch Col - lege, Antioch graduations and a variety of other engagements. Its repertoire extends across a wide range of eras, musical styles and cultures. Locally based pianist Barbara Leeds serves as accompanist for rehearsals and perfor- mances, during which other area instrumentalists also frequently take part. With the rollout of COVID- 19 vaccinations and a decrease in local cases of the virus, the choir relaunched in-person rehearsals in late spring 2021. A variety of performance plans are in the works. ♦ 937-708-0559 Craig@MiamiValleyUltimate.com www.MiamiValleyUltimate.com Craig Mesure Your Local Real Estate Consultant 30+ Years of fresh , LocaL food eVerY saTUrdaY 8 a.M.–NooN BrYaN ceNTer ParKING LoT