I have this strong memory of one particular choir rehearsal. It was a Thursday night in the Fellowship room where Donald Du Laney had a special announcement. It was a full year prior when he wanted us to lock down a date where we could all commit to a service and workshop with someone he had met at Calvin College. Donald is a rare genius in music and I knew, from how he described it, that this would be something very special. In the time leading up, we learned gospel music by the book to gear up for our much anticipated, first-ever Gospel workshop. At the time I was a junior in college and away at school most of the year, but this was something I knew I couldn’t miss. I remember being abroad for a semester in Italy, sitting there with my headphones diligently practicing with my Midi files. The work was well worth it. Gospel music changed me for the better.
I was not a complete stranger to gospel music. Mahalia Jackson and Kirk Franklin played on my mixed CDs, but this was something different. We all met Charsie Sawyer for the first time that workshop weekend and she was the most amazing person! She had an aura; she was a force of nature. At first, we couldn’t even clap and sing at the same time … we were babies stepping into this! To say it was a religious experience is an understatement; it was otherworldly and intoxicating. The following school year, I joined a gospel choir on my campus at school. There we learned the songs with no sheet music, singing as back up for Kirk Franklin and Karen Clark-Sheard. I found a real home within this music that I loved.
There was a gospel service every year from 2007-2019, one of the highlights of each year. I sang in it every time, designed the flyers, eventually graduated to performing solos, sometimes alto, sometimes tenor. I loved every minute of every service, as well as the lead up to rehearsals. Charsie even got Dad [Pastor Emeritus Paul Leggett] to narrate in one of my favorite songs, “Matthew 28.” The knowledge and growth we had as a choir in that time grew more and more, thanks to Charsie. It was such a fun journey we had as a choir and with Donald, who may have been having the most fun of all. Seeing familiar faces that would join the choir and band just for this occasion was a joyful noise that only got better each year. One of my biggest blows (of many) during the pandemic, was when we received the unfortunate news that there would not be a gospel service and, sadly, that became a reality for the years that followed. It was heartbreaking to think that could be the end of the gospel services with Dad retiring followed by Donald. And yet, it was a blessing to hear the gospel service was continuing again this year! I will always think fondly of all the music we praised and it reminds me of these lyrics to a gospel song I love:
Joe Pace & the Colorado Mass Choir – “Hallelujah Anyhow”
I believe I'll testify, God’s been good to me Through every test and trial I’ve got Victory The enemy has tried his best to make me turn around, and bring me down But my God has never failed me yet so I'm gonna stand my ground Not matter what comes my way I'll Lift my voice and say Hallelujah anyhow
© 2024 by Gwen Leggett Blackman