Photo illustration by cottonbro from Pexels.
The Hudson Valley Gospel Festival committee will present the fourth in a series about local history of gospel music via Zoom on Monday, May 3, at 7 p.m. featuring Rennie Raffington in conversation with Billy Summers and Pastor Christopher Gray
Summers is a Poughkeepsie native who grew up in the church. Gray is a writer, composer, artist and producer in the gospel music industry. Raffington is a member of the Hudson Valley Gospel Music Festival.
The Hudson Valley has a rich history of gospel music including Marva Clark, Gretchen Reed and Toni Graham. Many famous gospel performers graced the stages in the area, including Mahalia Jackson, whose performance and legacy was featured in March.
Sponsored by The Arts Mid-Hudson Folk Arts Program, planning is in the works for the 2021 Hudson Valley Gospel Festival on Sept. 25. There will be a series of events leading up to the festival, including monthly presentations on gospel in the Hudson Valley and beyond.
To register for the May 3 event, visit https://forms.gle/B6wXuHjXBgbKPfJCA. For more information about Arts Mid-Hudson, visit artsmidhudson.org or AMH on Facebook or Tumblr, or call 845-454-3222.