Gospel Music, A Cave Concert And Buffalo Soldiering: Your Weekend Is Here!

From chamber choir spirituals to an eclectic cave concert to the old west’s Buffalo Soldiers, there's a lot going on this weekend in the Alamo City. First off, head to the San Fernando Cathedral on Saturday night.“It's a concert that features a lot of spirituals, a lot of gospel,” San Antonio Chamber Choir’s Rick Bjella said.

Bjella said many spirituals grew directly out of the slave experience. Among the songs the choir will perform are”Wade In The Water”I've Been Buked” and "Rock-A My Soul.”

Also on Saturday, Mark Landson said you should get down. Way down.

Roughly 100 feet down, to be exact.

At the Cave Without a Name in Boerne,Composer Landson and the chamber quartet Neo Camerata will perform songs across musical genres.

"It's a project by Elvis Costello called ‘The Juliet Letters,’ ” he said. “It's a fantastic work. Very moving, very deep. And the emotional pull is just inescapable."

And, Landson added, the venue will play a key role in the performance.

"People are moved by the music down there in the cave," he said.

On Sunday, head to the Institute of Texan Cultures downtown for Buffalo Soldier Day.

"It's a story that needs to be told, hasn't been told and we're trying to tell," said Greg Garrett of ITC.

Garrett said Buffalo Soldiers refer to black Americans, who after the Civil War served in the Army and helped protect settlers on the frontier. The ITC is highlighting their efforts with exhibits, pictures and interpretive re-enactments.  

Retired Kerrville school teacher Clifton Fifer will interpret black cowboy songs, he said. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Buffalo Soldier Heritage and Outreach Program will also offer demonstrations on surveying, animal tracking, baseball and Buffalo Soldier history.

Jack Morgan can be reached at jack@tpr.org