Josephine and Henry reuniting to visit Master Chorale rehearsal this spring as ICC singers learn “City Called Heaven”.

Josephine Poelinitz winced as Henry Leck approached her at the conference. “I’m going to try to hide from him,” she remembered. She knew what he would be asking about once again. He wanted her to officially write down something that was engrained in her memory and in her life. A famous African American spiritual that only existed in performance and tradition, but not yet in sheet music – “City Called Heaven.”

Henry Leck, Founder and Conductor Laureate of the Indianapolis Children’s Choir, first heard Josephine’s Chicago Public School All-City Elementary Youth Chorus sing the song in the late 80’s or early 90’s. The powerful sorrow song features an improvisational solo supported by a chorus of slow, longing, yet hopeful lyrics.

“I was coming down from the stage [after my choir performed “City Called Heaven”] and Henry said ‘I want that song! Do you have it printed?’’” shared Josephine during a recent phone interview. “I didn’t have it of course, because I always taught it by rote.”

Josephine explained that it was her job at the time to ensure that meaningful music from all backgrounds was in the classroom at hundreds of Chicago Public Schools. Including gospels and spirituals like “City Called Heaven” was an important choice, but at the time there were hardly any that were arranged for children. “If I was going to use spirituals that were published for high school, I’d adapt them for the elementary school voices. I think 1978 was the first recording,” she recalled.

Josephine and Henry working with Master Chorale singers.

Josephine used the recording for years to teach the song, and it became a favorite of her choirs, with younger groups aspiring to sing it next, year after year and for special occasions like graduation. It became an instant favorite for Henry Leck too, who after first hearing it, worked for almost a decade to persuade Josephine to publish the piece.

But Josephine was always hesitant because she felt scoring music wasn’t her forte. “Finally, I ran into Dr. Keith Hampton and he did the transcription, he scored it for me,” she recalled. “He heard it and I think he heard our roots.”

Josephine and Henry then went back and forth editing the piece, finally publishing it for the first time in 1994. It’s now sung by choirs across the world, and by the Indianapolis Children’s Choir many times, and it always captivates audiences with its hopefulness and longing. “City Called Heaven” can mean something to someone wherever they are, whenever they are, and that’s what makes this enduring piece such a special one.

Original “City Called Heaven” Cover

You’re invited to see the song performed live at the ICC’s 40^th Anniversary celebration concerts at 3pm and 7pm on May 17, 2026 at the Scottish Rite Cathedral. Tickets and details here.

Special thanks to Josephine Poelinitz for sharing her story and the history of this incredible song.