2008 Woodie Awards
Gospel choir celebrates 30 years
Former members set to perform during annual concert
Elise Phillips, Assistant Pulse Editor
Issue date: 4/3/08 Section: Features
| |
| |
| |
|
When the ECU Gospel Choir first started in 1978 under the direction of student Johnice Johnson, it was known as the ECU Gospel Ensemble. From that year, the choir grew, and today has almost 50 members. Senior Arturo Cummings now leads the choir, and says that although this has been a difficult year, the concert will be an experience for the community.
"Every time you grow there's a new pain to endure, but so long as the end result is bigger than the pain itself, it's worth the endurance," said Cummings.
The concert, titled "Celebrating 30 Years of Gospel," will include the original gospel choir as well as a choir made up of alumni from past years' choirs.
"This concert is a chance for the current and the alumni choir members to come together and share the gospel with people through song and dance," said junior elementary education major Ashley Tew, secretary of the choir.
Tew, along with other members of the choir, are excited about the concert.
"[The concert will be] uplifting, energetic and fun," Tew said. "Come out and get ready for some awesome praise and worship."
Cummings says that the songs that will be presented at the concert will span the last three decades of gospel music.
"I tried to bring a collaboration of old and new back from 30 years up until the present day," he said.
The concert will be preceded by a myriad of events, including a complimentary "Mix and Mingle" on April 4 at the Ledonia Wright Cultural Center along with a banquet and awards ceremony for current and former members at the Cornerstone Missionary Baptist Church in Greenville.
Although it is not certain yet how many alumni will be attending the anniversary events, Dan Frezza, assistant director of programs at the Taylor-Slaughter Alumni Center, says they are anticipating about 20 to 30 alumni.
"Our mission at the Alumni Center is to inform, involve and serve. We are bringing back alumni to inform them about what's going on on-campus, at the alumni center and in the Gospel Choir," said Frezza.
Cummings says he hopes that the turnout will be large.
"I'm hoping with the celebration of 30 years it will draw a lot of people," Cummings said.
The purpose of the gospel choir is to "expose interested students to gospel music and its various styles as an art form, while promoting the university throughout the state and region," according to the organization's Web site.
Membership in the ECU Gospel Choir is open to all students, regardless of age, race, creed, sex, disability or religious affiliation.
For more information about the ECU Gospel Choir or the anniversary concert, visit the organization's Web site at ecugospelchoir.com.
This writer can be contacted at features@theeastcarolinian.com.
Be the first to comment on this story