By Barbara Allys

“I love getting people of different ages and backgrounds together to sing,” says Stacie Clayton, founder and director of the annual Community Gospel Choir concerts, which have been held in honor of Black History Month almost every February since 2005.

The singers in these joyful, spirited concerts are of all races and backgrounds, and come from Somerville, Medford, Cambridge, Boston and other local communities. The only requirements for performing in these yearly concerts are the enjoyment of singing with other people and a love for gospel music.

Clayton, who is originally from Jamaica and came to the U.S. at age 18, has helped lead the weekly music program at the Somerville Community Baptist Church since 1994. She explains that in order to reach a wide audience, the Community Gospel concerts have been held in a variety of locations over the years, including Tufts University, Medford’s Chevalier Theater, and at churches in Medford, Norwood, and other nearby towns. “This event is free and entertaining for all ages,” Clayton says.

This year’s Community Gospel Choir concert will take place Sunday, February 23, 5 pm at the Somerville Community Baptist Church, 31 College Avenue, two blocks from the Davis Square T-station. The theme of this year’s concert is “Heaven.” The singers will be accompanied by an ensemble of professional jazz musicians and the concert will be emceed by Medford’s former Poet Laureate Terry E. Carter. For more information, see http://www.ilovescbc.org