On Friday, June 27, 2025, the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia will present Songs of Hope at Teatro Esperanza, featuring the powerful and emotive voice of counter-tenor Reginald Mobley (also known as Reggie Mobley). This special performance is part of the “Recomposing the Past: An African American Perspective” series.

Mobley, known for his expressive tone and deep commitment to expanding the canon, will lead a stirring program that includes works by Handel, Purcell, and Dowland, as well as traditional spirituals like Deep River and Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child. With general admission priced at just $20 and free access for students and seniors, this concert offers a unique opportunity to experience world-class music in an intimate community setting.

Reggie Mobley answered a few questions from Impacto before this powerful presentation. Here’s what he shared with us.

«Songs of Hope» is a powerful title—what does hope mean to you personally, and how is that reflected in this concert?

Reggie Mobley: Like air, I tend to think of Hope as an abundant resource (in this case, a spiritual resource) that we don’t see, can’t artificially produce, and we certainly take for granted. It’s not necessarily something we choose to do, but whether we’re mindful of it or not, it’s essential to our survival. And again, like air, it’s something we’re aware of when it’s gone. 

It’s belief, it’s expectation, it’s Faith. And in my relationship with it, I understand it as a necessary component to resilience. A very needed quality in this day and age, in this country, that hand in hand with endurance, makes it possible for every person to progress forward without any promise of success, or even a tomorrow. Hope is strength.

As both the leader and countertenor in this performance, how do you balance your dual role on stage?

RM: It’s not a high science. I like to operate with sort of a primus inter pares mindset. Not a leader as much as a “first among equals”. Throughout the rehearsal process, I like to collaborate and share ideas as we learn and prepare pieces. Then, during the concert, I can better perform as an advocate of the shared ideas of everyone involved. Whether I’m singing or speaking.

What was the process like selecting the repertoire for this program, and are there any pieces that hold a special significance for you?

RM: Hahaha. If I’m singing it, there’s a special significance. I never program a single piece unless it means something to me in some way. Or I think it may mean something to the people in attendance. For me, music must speak. It has to communicate. If not, it doesn’t really serve more than the most superficial of purposes. I love Art for Art’s sake, but that’s not why I’m in the game. I’m compelled to make an impact of some kind. Whether it be in someone’s life, or just their evening.

This project brings together classical music and themes of resilience—how do you think music can serve as a form of healing or resistance?

RM: Art connects us. It reminds us of our shared humanity. It’s a practical magic in that it sort of travels through time and connects us directly to people who came before us and connects us to those who will come after. It safeguards and continues humanity in a way that only Art can do. Just as Handel felt pain and joy, as my enslaved ancestors felt hope and pain, so do I. So do we all. Music carries that – it carries them – and connects us in a very real way. And it seems clear to me that it always will. There’s a subtle but undeniable power there. And I find it reassuring. That if our eyes open in the morning, if the sun rises, we move on. Homes and jobs can be taken. Families can be torn. Lives can be lost. But our hopes, our feelings, our voices and stories, they continue. They move on. And in that we’re eternal. And on the day where things are truly better for all, we will all be there.

What do you hope audiences will take away emotionally or intellectually from «Songs of Hope»?

RM: Ultimately, not for me to say. I would like to think that even if everyone leaves forgetting my name and my face, they’ll remember how they felt while hearing this music. That something from these performances will remind them of the shared light that exists even in the stranger sitting next to them. And perhaps they’ll feel compelled to see everyone with a little more openness, patience, and grace.

Supported by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, the William Penn Foundation, and other esteemed partners, Songs of Hope invites audiences to listen not only with their ears, but with their hearts. With Mobley at the helm and the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia at his side, the program stands as a reminder of music’s power to connect, uplift, and reveal the richness of often-overlooked narratives.

The evening promises to be a celebration of resilience, beauty, and reinterpreted legacies, bringing together early music and Black cultural heritage in a resonant dialogue.