Coro Vocati

CORO VOCATI PRESENTS SPRING 2026 CONCERT: 

“DIRT ROADS AND FOOTPATHS”

Coro Vocati, Atlanta’s premier professional chamber choir, concludes its 2025-2026 season of concerts this May with a program that is close to Artistic Director Stanley L. Roberts’ heart. Dirt Roads and Footpaths draws from Roberts’ personal journey and life experience – from his childhood on a dirt road in South Georgia to the wonder he experienced recently walking the ancient footpaths of England’s Lake District. 

Roberts grew up on his family’s farm in Alapaha, GA, a town with less than 500 residents, and he credits his rural upbringing on a dirt road with shaping who is he is today. Fifty years later, as he hiked through northern England, Roberts marveled at the variety of scenes he encountered – small villages, pastures of sheep, orchards and private gardens – and the responsibility local communities and landowners have to ensure safe passage for travelers. A connecting theme between these two experiences is the idea that a place can remain familiar while also changing over time. Coro Vocati’s upcoming concert explores this idea and how humanity’s shared journey through life relates to time. 

“Dirt Roads and Footpaths is something of a metaphor on which we will focus musically,” said Roberts. “Some days we are simply travelers on the path...we enjoy the walk, the adventure, the scenery along the way. Sometimes, we are called to help maintain the path for others, be the good steward, help other people on the journey; keep the way clear and mark the path forward.” 

Program Details

Roberts organized Dirt Roads and Footpaths so that audiences journey along this metaphorical path with Coro Vocati. Divided into six phases, the concert begins by “Opening the Door” with the song My Spirit Sang All Day by 20th century British Composer Gerald Finzi.

The third phase, “Looking Back,” showcases the program’s signature piece, composer John Corigliano’s setting of Dylan Thomas’ Fern Hill, which recalls the poet’s youth on his family farm and how the passing of time changes the lens through which he views the world. This particular work resonates deeply with Roberts, who sometimes refers to his own family farm as Fern Hill and can identify with the varied emotions that accompany witnessing surroundings evolve over the decades. 

The second half of the concert chronicles the journey along Roberts’ metaphorical path, with the program’s final phase, “Beyond the Path,” describing what follows its conclusion. Coro Vocati closes the concert on a hopeful note with Moses Hogan’s powerful arrangement of the celebrated spiritual “Walk Together Children.”

Where and WhenCoro Vocati will perform Dirt Roads and Footpaths on Saturday, May 2 at 7 p.m. at Holy Innocents' Episcopal Church (805 Mount Vernon Hwy, Atlanta, GA 30327) as well as on Sunday, May 3 at 3 p.m. at St. Catherine's Episcopal Church (571 Holt Road, Marietta, GA 30062). Both concerts are free to attend, courtesy of the host venues. For more information, visit corovocati.org. 

About Coro Vocati

Coro Vocati is a group of professional singers based in Atlanta, called to create music at the highest level of choral artistry. Coro Vocati serves as a master class for singers and an inspiration for audiences. The Choir’s season typically includes annual fall, Christmas, and spring concerts. The group performed at the 2018 Southern Division American Choral Directors Association Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, and in 2019, Coro Vocati became the first professional choir in Georgia to perform the critically-acclaimed piece, “Considering Matthew Shepard.” For more information, visit corovocati.org.