The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, in partnership with Houston Ebony Opera Guild, will present a performance of I Too Sing, America: American Stories celebrating 40 years as part of the Hobby Center’s recently launched Houston Is Inspired initiative. The evening of music pays tribute to the Guild’s founder, Robert A. Henry, and key figures who played pivotal roles in advancing and sustaining the organization’s legacy.

The first half of the concert will feature a fully staged performance of Highway 1, USA, a one-act opera by William Grant Still. The powerful work, last performed by the Guild nearly 25 years ago, will be presented with a cast of local operatic soloists. The music of Still, "the dean of African American composers," accompanies the post-war tale of an ungrateful young man's exploitation, attempted seduction and near-murder of his brother's wife. All of this and more in the roadside service station owned by the victims: a loyal, hard-working couple.

The second half of the concert will showcase a selection of choral and solo works inspired by Robert Henry and other influential figures who have contributed to the Guild’s artistic and organizational growth. Each piece reflects their musical passions, from opera and choral masterworks to large-scale spiritual arrangements.