Harlem Gospel Choir
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Harlem Gospel Choir
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Should anyone ever doubt the close relationship between Soul and Gospel, then they should take the first opportunity to watch a gospel choir perform. They are as tight as Siamese twins with gospel delivering every musical characteristic the soul fan would want; slick choreography, call and response, melissma, soulful shrieks and lots and lots of testifying. The only difference is one of context, with with soul being secular and gospel religious. The messages may be different, but the music's the same The Choir consisted of ten members, five men and five women ably supported by a three man band, a drummer, keyboard player and bass guitarist. The show began with a very soulful interpretation of R. Kelly's "I wish I could fly" and ended with Kool & the Gang's "Celebration". In between we were treated to a variety of black soulful styles including rap and a medley of early spirituals. Needless to say the obligatory "Oh Happy Day" was trotted out, but I was disappointed that they did not tackle "Wade in the Water". There was no lead singer as each member took a turn to showcase their skills. None were a disappointment as they all displayed a richness and lung capacity that most secular stars would envy. It has been well documented in other parts of this web how gospel and soul cross fertilise their music. The work of Aretha Franklin and even the Jackson Five were unmistakable, though the lyrics had been changed to pay homage to the creator. In terms of style secular music may have moved on, and modern 'soul' is not always to my taste, but gospel has remained steadfast in its rhythmic roots. To find real soul in this era it we may all have to go back to the church. The compare and founder of the group, Allen Bailey adopted the role of M.C. and very funny he was too as his personality shone from the stage. He sported a big '86' on his jacket which was the year the choir was formed. This surprised me as I would have expected the group's origins to be a lot earlier. At the end they all took time out to sign autographs and meet their audience and as you would expect of religious folk they came across as really nice people. Jersey folk are notoriously staid, but these guys had everybody up clapping and singing, I can imagine that with a less reserved audience the place would have really rocked. My one criticism is that there was little information available on the group, no programme or even a flyer. The customary CD's were touted at the end which had been recorded live at B.B King's Blues Club, but even this sleeve had little information of note. Many 60's and 70's R&B stars have returned to gospel, and I was interested to know what the line up was but throughout the show real names were withheld as the singers were introduced as 'brother' this or 'sister' that. I have E-mailed the group seeking further information, but at the time of writing none has been returned. The choir is now a registered charity, and they travel the world raising money for children. In order to be successful there has clearly been some compromises made. This is not a service, but a show, and anybody going with the intention of listening to serious preaching will be disappointed. To make money religious messages have been sacrificed in the name of entertainment, but without it audiences would be down and the beneficiaries, i.e. the children, would suffer. In my view the group have got it right. I wouldn't ask anyone to forget the religious messages, but don't go expecting them to be rammed down your throat. Why not just go and enjoy some wonderful gospel music? |
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Why Not visit the Authors other Website, 'The Alternative Blackpool Website' at http://www.localdial.com/users/jsyedu133/bpool This Site Last Updated 18/05/05
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