SALISBURY — The first choral concert of the year from the Shuford School of Performing Arts of Catawba College will be held Sunday, Oct. 2, at 4 p.m.

The concert will be held in Catawba’s Omwake-Dearborn Chapel, located in the center of the campus.

For this very special concert, the 53 voices of the Catawba Singers will be joined by the Livingstone College Concert and Gospel Choirs. Each choir will present solo selections as well as several massed ensemble pieces.

This is a very unique concert because the two colleges have not participated in a combined concert for over 30 years.

“We are so glad that musicians from Salisbury’s two four-year colleges are joining together for this concert,” said Catawba College President David P. Nelson. “Catawba and Livingstone are together committed to the common good of our community, and this is one of several ways we are working together to that end.”

The 75-minute concert, titled “How Sweet the Sound,” will feature musical selections with themes of unity, diversity, equity, justice and inclusion.

The Catawba Singers are under the direction of Dr. Phillip E. Burgess, dean of the Shuford School of Performing Arts. The Livingstone Concert Choir is under the direction of Teresa Moore-Mitchell, and the Livingstone Gospel Choir is under the leadership of Pastor Christopher Gray.

“We are delighted about the return of this combined concert and the renewal of collaboration between Livingstone and Catawba Colleges,” said former Livingstone President Dr. Jimmy R. Jenkins Sr. “When two entities come together in the spirit of unity, diversity and inclusion, a sweet harmony reverberates throughout the community. This will be one of those instances.”

Selections for the program include: “Music in the Air,” “Hold on to God’s Unchanging Hand,” “How Sweet the Sound,” “We are One Voice,” “I Will Rise,” and many others.

Student soloists and instrumentalists from each college will also be featured in the program. Susan Trivette, Catawba College’s collaborative pianist, will serve as the primary accompanist for the afternoon.

The concert is free and open to the public.