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Singing Praise a Family Affair for the Jones Family of Steubenville

Photo Provided Getting ready for Steubenville’s Martin Luther King Jr. choral celebration are, from left, Sabria Jones, 12; her sister, Nyasha, 23, and brothers Jorian, 17, and Brenton, 15. All four of the Jones children have grown up with the MLK Youth Choir, Director Delores Wiggins said.

When it comes to raising a joyful noise, George and Glenda Young Jones’ four children have a head start.

The Jones children — Sabria, 12; Brenton, 15; Jorian, 17, and Nyasha, 23 — have been singing with the Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Choir since they were old enough to learn the words to traditional hymns and treasured Negro spirituals, which Choir Director Delores Wiggins selects each year to pay homage to the slain civil rights leader’s life and accomplishments.

“It’s a lot of fun, even practice is fun,” said Brenton Jones, adding what he likes most about it is “praising the Lord and being around Miss Wiggins.”

Wiggins, who’s guided the adult and youth MLK choral celebrations since the 1970s, said kids in the Youth Choir typically range from 5 to 15. Nyasha joined the choir when she was 5, Sabria when she was 3, and the Jones brothers somewhere in between.

“The songs take us back to our roots,” said Nyasha Jones. “We sing a lot of Negro spirituals, so it gives us an idea of where we come from. Everybody gets into it, the audience will be singing and clapping.”

Her brother Brenton said it’s “important to remember what Martin Luther King did, to keep his dream alive.”

All four Jones children play piano. Brenton, a freshman at Steubenville High School, and Jorian, a senior, also play drums. Sabria plays the saxophone, and Nyasha, clarinet and flute. Jorian also runs track, Brenton plays football and sings in the school choir while Sabria also is in the school choir.

The kids recently won the Valley’s Got Talent competition with their Ambassador Mime Skit, a dance performance with acting to church songs.

“Music has been a big part of our life because of our grandfather, my dad’s dad,” Nyasha Jones said. Their grandfather, George Wydell Jones Jr., “was a doo-wop singer back in the day, he sang with the Edsel’s and wrote songs” for other performers, like the late Ray Charles.

Wiggins credits the late Mary Ruth Thorn with having the vision to organize the Martin Luther King Jr. Association, an organization of “high standard faith, Black history, love, peace and sorrow,” Wiggins said.

“There were African-American clergy as well as Caucasians,” she said. “The Rev. Wilfred Bristol was the first to serve as chairman, followed by the Rev. Calvin McLoyd Sr.”

Wiggins organized the MLK Jr. Memorial Mass Choir as well as the MLK Youth Choir.

“Mostly we get together for our Martin Luther King celebration, but we will be doing something special over the holidays,” Wiggins said.

That “something special” this year is a performance honoring the late civil rights activist H. James Baker and former MLK Jr. Memorial Mass Choir soloist Conway Owens at 6 p.m. Saturday in Emmanuel Church of God in Christ, 128 S. Fifth St., Steubenville.

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