The Best Church Choir In America

Hamil Harris, Washington Post November 18, 2010

By Hamil Harris Even though he is 90, when the Greater Mount Calvary Holy Church Mens Choir took the stage at the Verizon Center Saturday night, Elder Haldane Boyce was clapping his hands, rocking that body and keeping step with men a fraction of his age.

"I enjoy singing. I have been singing all my life. I used to sing with the Billy Graham choir," said Boyce, who stole the heart of the judges during the grand finale of Verizon's How Sweet the Sound national gospel choir competition.

The 14 choirs who competed for the title of "The Best Church Choir in America," were selected from more than 100 groups during regional competitions over the last three months. Gospel artist Donald Lawrence and CeCe Winans hosted the event that was held for the first time since its inception three years ago at the Verizon Center.

Gospel icons Marvin Sapp, Karen Clark Sheard and Fred Hammond were supposed to judge the acts, but they could only shake their heads as the gospel choirs selected from 14 regional competition used music and about five minutes to deliver spiritual pyrotechnics with a Holy Ghost filled attitude.

It might have been church music but hymn books and old melodies had been replaced by vocal symphony, stunning wardrobes and musical excellence that probably had old choir masters like James Cleveland turning over in his grave.

Mount Calvary, the local favorite, won the People's Choice award and $5,000 but the night belonged to a group of young adults from Compton, California who stole the heart of the judges and the $25,000 first place award with a remix of Byron Cages "The Presence of the Lord." The performance was high octane Broadway but wasn't just about singing. To excel as a gospel choir, a group has to look good, sound good and have well choreographed dance moves that are performed while keeping perfect pitch and Lord the finalist all did just that.

While the judges joked about how the young women from Compton looked like airline stewardess sporting blue dresses trimmed in red dresses, Rev. Michael Fisher, the choirs director, said the uniforms are a symbol of unity from violent gang-infested world that some of these young people have come from.

"I got tired of preaching funerals," said Fisher, who is also the pastor of 3,000 member Greater Zion Church in Compton. "The blue and red dresses represent the coming together of the Crips and the Bloods. "

Fisher also said 75 percent of the church and the choir is made up of young people under 30, all striving to be different. "We want to represent the new Compton."

"Our church is located in the middle of four hoods, they love to dance, so when they come to dance, we incorporate that into the choir," Fisher said.

"We are trying to make gospel music attractive to another generation." Fisher said he plans to take the first place award to renovate a building to build a youth center in Compton. From Compton to Chicago and from New Jersey to Texas the event offered a slice of America that shows, among other triumphs, that Sunday morning is no longer the most segregated time of our week. The Calvary Sanctuary Choir of the United Pentecostal Church from Cleveland proved that. After they performed, people screamed and clapped and Hammond said what was on many minds:"Ya'll don't think that these white folks didn't come in here and wouldn't sing," joked Hammond. In fact a number of gospel choirs were majority white or ethnically diverse and the crowd loved it.

For Sapp, the night was work, performance and therapy. In September he buried his wife, who lost her battle with cancer. "It is absolutely therapeutic, gospel is nothing but the good news of Jesus Christ."

"I wouldn't be a believer if I didn't go through my trial and my test and stand strong in my faith," Sapp said in an interview. "It is difficult. I have shed many tears and will shed many tears but I know that God got me covered and I reminded of the old song "We Will Understand It Better By and By."

Please report offensive comments below.

Is there no copy editor, much less the writer of this otherwise fine story, that knows the name of the gang in Los Angeles is CRIPS, and not Crypts?

Good heavens, the world is indeed going to hell.

Peter in Buenos Aires

Posted by: Wryter47 | November 18, 2010 6:56 AM Report Offensive Comment

Peter in Buenos Aires,

"Good heavens, the world is indeed going to hell."

So, is not knowing how to spell the names of various LA gangs the fifth horseman of the apocalypse?

Posted by: PSolus | November 18, 2010 12:24 PM Report Offensive Comment

With the trend of religions and churches in slow decline, is it any wonder that so many of them have turned to musical choruses and the entertainment they provide to fill the half-empty pews that enjoy the show business services that make attending at least an aural pleasure despite the boring rituals that the religions might entail.

Posted by: vicsoir1 | November 18, 2010 1:18 PM Report Offensive Comment

Hmmmm. I love Gospel choral music, but I think calling the winner the "Best Church Choir in America" is a bit presumptuous. There are other sacred choral traditions in the US that are alive and well. They produce great singing and they are nourished by a steady stream of new works from many active composers, some of them quite good. Gospel is the most American tradition, but it is not the only one. The best church choir in America can't be named, really, any more than you can name the best fruit, when some people like apples and some oranges. I don't know what title should go to the winner of this competition, but "Best church Chir in America" is a bit overreaching.

The Best Church Choir In America

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