KING CELEBRATION: a Joyous Evening of Classical and Gospel Music

by Jon Ross

After a joyous evening of classical and gospel music performed by Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus alongside the Ebenezer Baptist Church Choir and Band, there was one more surprise in store: Ebenezer’s director of worship and the arts stepped up to the church piano. Audience members more familiar with the ASO than with Ebenezer may not have suspected what came next.

Supported by the amassed voices and orchestral musicians, Patrice E. Turner placed an emphatic exclamation point on the 2026 King Celebration Concert at Ebenezer Baptist Church with a performance that is still ringing in my head days later. I’ve rarely witnessed a song that so completely shifts the energy in a room. Actually, I take that back – this is the second year in a row that’s happened.

This year’s “Order My Steps” was not an anomaly. Turner conjured up a similar must-hear event near the close of last year’s King Celebration concert, the revival of a long-running collaboration between the organizations that had run dormant.

That first year, Turner’s performance capped an evening focused on African American composers with deep connections to Atlanta, rousing gospel numbers and a rising violin star, Waverly Alexander. Singer Gregory Porter also joined the program, which might have had more than a little to do with the packed audience and the buzz in the air.

Here’s the thing: The uplifting concert could have easily been as thrilling without the singer, who always draws big crowds in Atlanta.

Earlier this month, organizers from the ASO and Ebenezer Baptist successfully tested that theory, presenting a celebratory fusion of gospel and classical music without a big-name draw. From the opening cheerful melodies of William Grant Still’s third symphony to the closing notes of “Order My Steps,” ASO musicians and the ASO Chorus blended with the Ebenezer Baptist Church Choir and Band to create a well-rounded and joyful celebration. As I said, some of the music from last year is still burned in my memory; this year’s concert proved the need for a long-term collaboration between the institutions.

There are various ways to watch and listen to the 2026 King Celebration Concert. Georgia Public Broadcasting will air an encore performance of the concert on Monday at 9 p.m. Listeners can also hear the concert on GPB-FM at 10 p.m. The GPB Classical radio station will air the show at 8 p.m.; on WABE, the performance also airs at 8 p.m. Online streaming is available.

While Reverend Raphael Warnock welcomed the ASO to Ebenezer and gave touching tributes throughout the evening, conductor Jonathan Taylor Rush took on the bulk of the emceeing duties, reprising his multifaceted role from last year. Conductor, storyteller and engaging host, Rush brought an infectious personality and bright presence, both when telling the audience tales of the music and cheerfully conducting the assembled artists. I hope his association with the ASO long continues.

Still’s rarely performed “Sunday Symphony” – a beautiful, programmatic work – opened the program, and tenor Timothy Miller’s performance of Adolphus Hailstork’s “I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes” proved an early highlight. After intermission, the amassed choirs and orchestra started the gospel portion of the program, shining the spotlight on soloists like Tamika Patton, who soared through “Open My Heart,” with her voice ranging up to stratospheric dynamism, and Reginald E. Gibson. To experience these tunes, augmented by the orchestra and chorus, makes a clear case for an annual musical celebration.

The concept that two foundational Atlanta institutions could unite in music to celebrate a legacy of African American excellence is thrilling. The reality is even better.