Choir

Margaret C. Cooper, a retired longtime church organist and choir director, died of congestive heart failure Monday at Caroline Nursing Home in Denton. She was 100. Margaret Cross was born in Pleasantville, Pa., and spent her early years there until moving with her family to a Caroline County farm in Greensboro. After graduating from high school, she earned a bachelor's degree in English in 1932 from American University. She taught at the Greensboro School before marrying Gail Fitch Cooper in 1934.

Celebrating King's legacy St. John's College will hold a seminar on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail," 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Jan. 10. Participants should arrive at 9:30 a.m. for check-in and refreshments. Tutors will lead small groups of participants in a discussion of the letter that King wrote to his fellow clergy in Birmingham in response to their condemnation of civil disobedience in the city. The seminar is free, but advance registration is required online at stjohnscollege.

Kenny Rogers is having throat problems - not a good thing for a man renowned for his soft, leathery croon. "My body's falling apart, but I'm never sick," says the 70-year-old country-pop legend, his voice noticeably frayed. "I tell you: These throat problems started two days ago. I'm so full of steroids, I feel like a racehorse - or a professional athlete." Rogers is calling from his luxury tour bus en route to a vocal cords specialist in New York, the same one Mick Jagger goes to. "I'll be fine by the time I get to your city," he says reassuringly.

Inside a rehearsal room backstage at Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, the group is a little rambunctious. "Remember control," a chaperon tells them, her voice calm but firm. "You can still be excited and in control." The 26 children, ranging in age from 8 to 12, immediately bring the noise level down. The girls twirl and clap while softly chanting songs in Swahili, as the boys line up to get fitted for black tuxedos with tails. Later, the girls try on princess dresses the color of magnolia blossoms.

The faces were pink with the season's cold. The eyes - all 50, in fact - were as wide as saucers, following every sweep of the conductor's hand. "Let the music that you play/ Make you joyful all the day," trilled voices that sounded angelic as they soared to the rafters of the old church. At yesterday's rehearsal of the Handel Children's Choir, a vocal group for kids ages 4 to 17, spirits seemed high, given the news the organization had just gotten. The Handel Choir of Baltimore announced last week that it would disband the children's group after eight largely successful years.

Comfort ye who prefer Handel's Messiah just the way it was written in 1741. The version of the beloved oratorio being performed this weekend by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Morgan State University Choir may seem as if it has gone astray like sheep at first, but ev'ry worry is bound to be made low once the familiar music starts exalting to a new beat. Billed as Too Hot to Handel and subtitled "The Gospel Messiah," this kinetic reworking of a baroque masterpiece refashions the music through several contemporary styles - jazz, R&B and rock, as well as gospel.

NEW YORK - "This is exactly what my father wanted," Jamie Bernstein said yesterday afternoon, wiping away tears after a gripping performance of Leonard Bernstein's Mass led by Marin Alsop in the vast, gilded United Palace Theater at 175th St. and Broadway. "This was incredible," the composer's daughter said. That performance, attended by more than 3,000 people, found the stage crammed with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Morgan State University Choir and the large cast that, on Friday night, had brought down a sold-out house at Carnegie Hall that included actor Alec Baldwin and writer Anna Quindlen.

Looking back over the past few months, I see that there was plenty to do in Baltimore - day and night, indoors and outdoors. Here's a snapshot of two events. The 17th annual Stone Soul Picnic on Aug. 16 had record attendance. Headlining the day of fun under the sun were soulful crooner Eric Benet, R&B artist turned gospel singer Regina Belle and rapper Jayceon Terrell Taylor, also known as The Game. Some entertainers, including recording artist Paula Campbell, posed and chatted with fans at the picnic, which was sponsored by Radio One and held at Druid Hill Park.

Plenty of Olympians have already peaked by age 20. Some have retired. Jamie Schroeder? Well, you couldn't have even called him an athlete until then. He was a gangly teenager, always too busy perfecting a biology experiment or playing the tuba to do much more than flail around on the basketball court or behind a volleyball net. He seemed on track to be great at something, but no one imagined that it would involve picking up an oar. He did so for fun during his sophomore year at Northwestern University.

This issue's Social Scene takes you to three events where the emphasis was on celebrating. Last month, the Soulful Symphony ended its season at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall with "Say Amen Somebody." The symphony, its choir and guest Donald Lawrence performed contemporary and traditional gospel before a capacity audience. Lawrence led three of his hits: "Giants," "The Blessing of Abraham" and "Never Seen the Righteous Forsaken." The symphony, choir and various soloists performed some of Lawrence's music, in addition to popular songs by other artists, including "My Life Is in Your Hands" by Kirk Franklin, "We Worship You" by Richard Smallwood and "Bless Your Name Forever" by Tye Tribbett.