Gospel Choir impresses with lively concert

The show began with a drum beat and "mic check" actually a surprise opening to the performance. Choir members streamed in from the back of the auditorium, singing a medley of popular tunes. The full choir reached the stage, forming a huge presence with even larger voices to match.

As the choir then began their first number of the night, the classic hit "September," the waves of joy were palpable throughout the audience as they followed the clapping and dancing of the choir.

Gospel Choir director Walt Cunningham formed a masterful onstage presence, joking with the crowd and choir, dancing around the stage and introducing songs with words of inspiration. Cunningham also brought the audience into the performance, kindly informing them that "standing is expected behavior" and directing them to "clap on beats two and four." The choir's performance kept audience members standing in their seats and dancing in the aisles throughout the rest of the show.

The highlight of the evening was the "Idol Medley," in which the choir invited the winners of Dartmouth Idol to join them onstage. The medley included Trace Atkins' "Muddy Waters," Queen's "Somebody to Love" and Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground."

The audience was treated to an a capella version of "Amazing Grace" and "Come by Here," as well as a sneak peek of the group's new album, "All God's Children."

Choir singer Thomas Prewitt '13 singled out the choir's version of "Come by Here" as one of its best pieces. The arrangement has a "whole new twist," Prewitt said, partly due to the Caribbean influences and praise dancers that feature prominently in the piece.

Prewitt was also one of several singers who performed a solo during Thursday's concert. He said he started to want to sing his part in "Muddy Waters" because country music suits his singing style.

Although many of the songs performed by the choir feature a soloist, the entire group is involved in each song no single performer claims too much time on stage.

The choir's selection of soloists tends to be fluid, according to Zinnia Amaya '09, events manager for the choir.

"We're very open to whoever wants to be a soloist we don't do tryouts or anything like that," she said, noting that the choir as a whole includes members without auditions.

Potential soloists select songs that interest them and meet with Cunningham to sing through them, Tom Leddy-Cecere '10, chaplain of the choir, said.

"[Cunningham will] see what you sound good on, and see what he thinks your voice is best suited to," Leddy-Cecere said. "And pretty much we've been lucky enough to be able to find solos for pretty much everyone that wants to do one."

Leddy-Cecere praised the choir for its inclusivity it features over 100 members compared to other ensembles or performance environments. Over a quarter of the choir's members have sung solos or directed certain pieces, he said.

In addition to current students, the choir draws its membership from the local community, including high school students and College staff. Alumni also sometimes return to perform with the choir, Leddy-Cecere and Amaya said.

Students also play a large part in actually running the ensemble, they said. Although each has a defined title, none of the management crew behind the choir has "stringent, strict roles," leading them to work together on the choir's projects, Amaya said.

Thursday's performance featuring a variety of music, from traditional choir music to Christian hymns to classic rock followed the usual trend of the choir's style.

"When people ask what kind of music we sing, our answer is that we sing music of faith and love and inspiration," Leddy-Cecere said. "If even one person in the house tonight takes away the message of one of those things, it'll be a successful concert."

The Gospel Choir will perform the second of its Spring shows tonight to a sold-out crowd. If the group's first performance is any guide, the choir will more than earn its popularity.