History
The London Community Gospel Choir was founded in 1982 by the Reverend Bazil Meade with the assistance of Lawrence Johnson, Delroy Powell and John Francis.
Initially the idea was for a single concert and this was staged by a 120-strong choir before an audience of more than a thousand people. The performance was a success and what had started as a one-off event soon matured into a legacy of 25 years of travelling concerts performed worldwide.
Meade explained "We were formed from those who were passionate about their faith and were willing to take gospel music into venues that many churches at that time dared not enter."
The success of the evening at Kensington Temple led to inquiries for the choir to appear on television and the radio and at various corporate functions across the United Kingdom and Europe. The choir's debut television performance on Channel Four's 'Black On Black' proved a resounding success and led to calls from popular artists for musicians and singers to perform with them. This caused disapproval in the black church community which accused Meade and his companions of courting controversy as well as behaving in a pseudo-Christian manner. Traditionalists argued against Christians working in secular environments as well as women wearing cosmetics and jewelry. In December 2003, the Guardian described the choir as Controversial, professional, energetic, inspiring and spirit-filled!
Meade comments, "The idea of an inter-denominational choir was something totally new to the church community. A few church leaders felt threatened by it. It took a while before we were able to convince them that we were not forming a new church and stealing their young people away! We knew this was a vision that God had given us and that inspired us to keep going despite the controversy which surrounded us,…"
The choir is often described as adaptable and flexible and as producing dynamic melodies with rich harmonies whether they are performing as an octet or as a 30-strong choir. It is known for its funk-flavoured gospel flair, swing-beat, rhythm and blues, traditional and soulful arrangements, with invigorating choreography and vocal gymnastics. Currently the choirs membership is some 45 members.
Read more about this topic: London Community Gospel Choir
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