By Sean Guay
The ‘Divine Nine’ will unite in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to enjoy a historic performance by the Howard Gospel Choir, and to celebrate African American heritage during Black History Month at the iconic Market Square Presbyterian Church. The Howard Gospel Choir, directed by Reginald Golden, is composed of 40 young singers and other students that accompany the choir on rhythm instruments, such as the class Hammond B3 organ, commonly associated with gospel music, as well as bass guitar, drums, keyboards, synthesizer, and electric guitar.
The musical event on February 15 at 4:00 p.m. will be performed in the renovated church sanctuary featuring hardwood flooring crafted for acoustics, ideal for music and spoken word.
The Harrisburg area is home to some prominent Howard University graduates who are active within alumni groups and local chapters of the Divine Nine. The most prestigious Black Greek Letter Organizations, referred to as the Divine Nine, are composed of historically African American fraternities and sororities, some of which were founded at Howard University more than 100 years ago in Washington D.C.
The event is being coordinated by Arts on the Square, which is an arts and music program of Market Square Presbyterian Church. The communications manager for Arts on the Square, John Robinson, who is the former president of the Historical Society of Dauphin County, described to me the details of the event, saying that the gospel choir was invited during their planning for Black History Month. He said the Howard Gospel Choir was, “happy to accept our invitation, as it had been more than ten years since they had sung in Harrisburg.”
Mr. John Robinson mentioned that he spoke with Joseph Robinson, who is the President of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Leadership Development Institute in Harrisburg. Mr. Joseph Robinson provided information about Howard University’s “Divine Nine,” the historically Black Greek Letter Organizations (BGLOs) under the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), including sororities Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA), Delta Sigma Theta (DST), Zeta Phi Beta (ZPB), Sigma Gamma Rho (SGRho) and fraternities Alpha Phi Alpha (APA), Kappa Alpha Psi (KAPsi), Omega Psi Phi (OPPsi), Phi Beta Sigma (PBS), Iota Phi Theta (IPT).
Several of these organizations were originally founded at Howard University, emphasizing leadership, scholarship, community service, networking, and community engagement.
The Market Square Presbyterian Church was originally constructed in 1860, and is the oldest building still standing on the square of downtown Harrisburg, in the capital city of Pennsylvania. In recent years the venue has hosted various local, national, and international artists, including choirs, organists, pianists, vocalists, instrumentalists, jazz artists, brass and percussion ensembles, and chamber orchestras. From September to May, visual arts are featured in the Arts on the Square Gallery in the church’s historic Geneva Hall during three exhibitions each season.
The Howard Gospel Choir has performed at venues such as the White House, the Kennedy Center, the National Cathedral, and the Smithsonian Museum of American History. Notable past members of the choir include Grammy winners like Richard Smallwood, Coré Cotton, and Elbernita “Twinkie” Clark. The choir will soon be performing in Germantown, Maryland on February 13, 2026, and will be touring Detroit, Chicago, and Atlanta for performances in March 2026. Members of the Howard Gospel Choir are described as international ambassadors of African American culture who spread the gospel around the world.
Pastor Joseph Green of St. Paul’s Missionary Baptist Church in Harrisburg also spoke with me about the event, and said that he is looking forward to the enjoying the renowned premier collegiate ensemble, mentioning the “phenomenally high level performance” of Howard Gospel Choir. Dr. Green has an appreciation for the class and professionalism of the young gospel choir members. He said the musical event will be an opportunity for the community to unite in a house of worship, and to cerebrate traditional values of African American culture.
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