VIRGINIA BEACH, VA — On Sunday, February 15, 2026, at 3:00 PM, Symphonicity (the Symphony Orchestra and Chorus of Virginia Beach) will present Come Sunday! at the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts. This distinctive masterworks concert sponsored by Red Chalk Studios bridges historical civic reflection and high-energy celebration, featuring a rare collaboration with the Old Dominion University (ODU) Drumline and a powerful “gospel shout” for full orchestra.

Under the baton of Music Director Daniel W. Boothe, the program’s first half examines the concept of democracy through a historical lens. This exploration is highlighted by Howard Hanson’s Song of Democracy and Peter Wilhousky’s iconic arrangement of Battle Hymn of the Republic, featuring a massive vocal force of more than 130 singers. 


Students from Old Dominion University and Regent University join the Symphonicity Chorus and led by Chorus Master Dr. Nancy Klein.

The concert experience is woven together by guest speaker Rev. Dr. Veronica Coleman, Pastor of New Jerusalem Ministries in Virginia Beach. Rev. Dr. Coleman will provide a holistic narrative throughout the performance, drawing connections between the music and the communal aspirations of modern democracy.

In observance of Black History Month, the program also honors the resilience and artistry of the Civil Rights Movement. The orchestra will perform Margaret Bonds’s Montgomery Variations, a powerful work dedicated to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that commemorates the courage and faith of those who participated in the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Bonds was one of the first Black composers to gain recognition in the United States.

Also featured is Omar Thomas’s Come Sunday, a two-movement tribute to the Hammond organ’s central role in Black worship traditions. Described as a “gospel shout” for orchestra, the work features a tenor saxophone solo by Stephanie Sanders, who serves as Assistant Professor, Associate Director of Bands, and Director of the Instrumental Jazz Ensemble at Norfolk State University. Ms. Sanders is also the Principal Bassoonist of Symphonicity.

The concert concludes with "Praise You," a vibrant orchestral and choral collaboration with the Old Dominion University Drumline led by Dr. Klein, adding a rhythmic intensity that brings the program to an electrifying close.


“This is not just a concert; it’s a civic event,” says Boothe. “From the deep introspection of Whitman’s poetry and the tribute to the Montgomery Bus Boycott to the joyful, explosive energy of the ODU Drumline, we are inviting the community to experience a full spectrum of the American voice.”


The concert runs approximately 90 minutes and includes a pre-concert discussion with guest artists beginning at 2:30 PM. Free parking is available in the adjacent garage, and casual attire is welcome.


Tickets for Come Sunday! start at $29 at symphonicity.org.

Symphonicity, the symphony orchestra of Virginia Beach, was founded in 1981 by music director David S. Kunkel and is composed of more than 200 talented musicians from the local community. As a proud resident member of the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, the orchestra brings together professional musicians, music educators, and passionate amateurs who collectively contribute more than 12,000 hours each year to present high-quality, innovative, and dynamic symphonic experiences.



Our musicians represent a wide range of backgrounds, including medicine, education, business, religious service, the military, homemaking, and engineering, and they perform purely for the love of music. To learn more and to find out how you can get involved, visit symphonicity.org.

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Media Contact:

Name: Nikki Bergman

Title: Executive Director

Office: 757-671-8611

Email: office@symphonicity.org