MLK tribute recital to be performed tonight

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will be given a classical tribute in a vocal recital on Tuesday.

Valerie Francis, assistant professor of music, is performing a solo recital in the Mary and Al Danos theater at 7:30 p.m. as part of a concert series.

“Picking repertoire is spiritual,” Francis said.

The music Francis will be performing are all pieces that are uniquely special to her and ones she has worked on with some of her most influential teachers including Raquel Cortina and the late Thomas
Devore Carey.

“This is a special program for the people that have been in my life,” said Francis “It is for the people who have been through all the happy and sad times.”

Francis explained how Martin Luther King Jr. had a way of bringing people together. She believes that her parents and teachers all had that “same spirit of giving to others”.

Francis is looking forward to seeing her parents in the audience who she credits for teaching her to share her gift of singing.

“God gave you a gift. What you do with it is your gift back to him” said Francis.

Francis will be accompanied by Wilfred Delphin on piano whom she has been working with since Hurricane Katrina. She will also be assisted by Mathew Swihart, assistant professor of music, on trumpet.

There will be works from composers such as Handel, Stradella, Bencini, Duparc, Verdi, Strauss, Shore, Johnson and Powell.

The recital will end with a spiritual song, which is something Francis always does.

Francis wants to show her students that “you are not allowed to limit yourself” and said it is a big blessing to be able to give back through teaching. She works with students of various ages including her youngest student who is 3-years- old.

The next concert of this series will be at Xavier University on Feb. 1.