Celebrate our country's second Independence Day at a Juneteenth concert performed by the Music for Everyone (MFE) Community Chorus. The concert will take place on Friday, June 19, at 7 p.m. in the sanctuary of Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren, 777 S. Mount Joy St.

The concert was originally scheduled for February, but inclement weather caused its postponement. That turned out to be an opportunity, said Joe Detrick, chair of the church's concert committee.

"In consultation with the MFE director, Darla Bair, June 19, or Juneteenth, was the only available date for this spring," Detrick recalled. "Our concert committee was especially sensitized to the Juneteenth celebration since our church has a strong peace, social and racial justice emphasis."

Bair will lead the concert, directing a program featuring the non-audition, all-age, multicultural secular group of 50 singers that comprise MFE's Community Chorus. The group performs fully memorized songs, incorporating choreography and American Sign Language.

"One cannot help but feel actively engaged as they listen and are invited to sing along," Detrick said. "For this specific concert, all the musical selections will tell the story from slavery to freedom."

Officially enacted as a federal holiday in 2021, Juneteenth marks the date in 1865 when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to alert enslaved African Americans of their freedom, more than two years after President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. The holiday takes its name from blending the words "June" and "nineteen."

"Although it has long been celebrated in the African American community, this monumental event, largely unknown to many Americans, belongs to all Americans," Detrick shared. "The historical legacy of Juneteenth shows the value of continuing to put one foot in front of the other and walk toward a goal of peace, love and justice for all."

The nonprofit MFE has a mission to cultivate the power of music as an educational and community builder to transform lives in Lancaster County and beyond.

The concert complements the Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren's desire to reach audiences outside its doors.

"Our church is committed to promoting musical arts in the Elizabethtown community by uniting people through music and fostering a sense of shared experience," Detrick said. "We are pleased to offer our accessible, family-friendly facilities for such events."

The concert is free and open to the public, and no registration is required. All Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren concerts are livestreamed and available on YouTube following the performance.