Rehearsals for the 2013 season of the Martha’s Vineyard Spirituals Choir begin on Wednesday, April 10, at 6 p.m. at the Oak Bluffs Senior Center on Wamsutta avenue. Rehearsals take place weekly and last an hour. New members are welcome.

Spirituals are songs that were sung by African slaves in the United States. The choir is directed by Jim Thomas, the founder and director of the U.S. Slave Song Project. A seasonal resident of Martha’s Vineyard, Mr. Thomas is also an alumnus of the Fisk Jubilee Singers, the Robert Shaw Chorale, and the Paul Hill Chorale.

For more information, contact Mr. Thomas at 703-407-1207 or jimtho2405@peoplepc.com.