MANSFIELD, PA—The 16th annual Young Men’s Choral Festival (YMCF), hosted by the Mansfield University student chapter of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), will be held on Friday, November 6.
The YMCF gives young men in grades seven, eight and nine the chance to sing in a massed choir with peers who also enjoy singing, without feeling intimidated by outside influences. This year’s festival will feature a choir of over 130 young men from 18 area school districts, the Mansfield University Men’s Choir, and special guests, The Fairfield Four.
At 7 p.m. in Steadman Theatre, the Fairfield Four will present their own concert. Tickets are $10. MU students will be admitted free with ID.
The Fairfield Four are a gospel quartet, best known for their work on the soundtrack of the film O Brother Where Art Thou.
Founded in 1921 in Nashville, TN, the Fairfield Four have maintained their authenticity by carrying on traditional stylings exemplified by the Bessemer Sunset Four, the Birmingham Jubilee Singers, and the Famous Blue Jay Singers with Silas Steele.
The Fairfield Four are the recipients of multiple honors including Grammy Awards for Best Traditional Gospel Recording, I Can’t Hear Nobody Pray, Album of the Year for the O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack recording and two Lifetime Achievement Awards. They were inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1999.
The YMCF is supported in part by student activity fees.