By Melville Cooke, Freelance WriterWESTERN BUREAU:
IN THE end, even the audience became a chorale, as the inaugural annual 'Choir Fest' lived up to its billing on Sunday evening.
The high, steepled roof of The Church of God in Jamaica at Pitfour, St. James, reverberated to the succession of harmonised voices which were raised in praise, with the two-thirds capacity audience joining in several times. At the behest of the church's pastor, Lloyd Francis, the audience became the final choir for the night, as they praised the Lord and let Earth hear their voices, which seemed powerful enough to reach the electric lights of Montego Bay in the distance.
The membership of the choirs which performed ranged from the eight-member all-male Singing Willows to the 26-person female-dominated Half-Moon Club Choir, and it could have been larger, as they were not up to full strength on the night.
However, the best was saved for last, as the final performers at Choir Fest 2002, the Praise Choir, put on a display of harmony, individual vocal ability, expression, passion and sheer spiritual ecstasy which probably had Lazarus rolling away the stone one more time. Their outstanding musical accompaniment, Sheldon Clarke, who at times also doubled as a singer, was the stand-in emcee for the evening, as the slated person from the Love Family failed to show.
He did an excellent job, with his four 'friends', although not exactly a choir, providing excellent singing in slots as well.
Mr. Clarke warmed up the stage for the Half-Moon Club Choir, who were the first performers, by getting the audience to chant 'half moon, full moon'. They entered from the rear of the church, their black and white robes rustling and arms waving from side to side and singing the command to Clap Your Hands In His Sanctuary, the audience joining in and applauding enthusiastically as they wrapped up the piece and arranged themselves on-stage. With a 'vibes man' on keyboards and microphone, as well as the choir leader also doing solo duties, the choir harmonised How Excellent Is Thy Name.
It was their second and final number in their first stint on-stage.
The 10-member, all-female Nazarene Church of Irwin Choir entered quietly and took a little time to get going, a burst of applause encouraging them as they ironed out pre-performance wrinkles. "Shall we give the Lord a mighty praise?," a choir member asked and, at the solid 'hallelujah' response they opened with I Have A Friend So Dear To Me. Two ladies with powerful voices alternated on lead vocals.
"We prepared a song that has been done already, but we are going to praise the Lord just the same. We hope you will be blessed," a member of the choir said, as they proceeded to perform the song with which the Half-Moon Club Choir had opened. The Half-Moon entourage, which this point was seated in the audience, gave instant swaying, upraised hands support.
Sheldon Clarke's 'friends' preceded Half-Moon's second stint, an excellent male solo drawing spontaneous applause. Solos seemed to be the order of the day, as a female singer took charge of Half-Moon, asking 'How many times must I prove that I love you?' As good as the rendition was, it got better as the choir paused for a drum roll after her extended, explosive solo and swung into the same song on a reggae beat. A series of 'Amens', each higher and more powerful than the first, ended their second and final song, which completed the Half-Moon Club Choir's set for Choir Fest 2002.
The Singing Willows opened a capella, the only jarring note occurring when a smiling and late bass player plugged in midway the song, causing an electronic jolt. Jesus gave it all/All to Him I owe, the similarly black shirt and khaki pants-clad Willows sang, the voices of the eight young men combining smoothly. They ended with Jesus I Am Depending On You, which struck a note with the audience.
The Praise Choir started their presentation at 9:20 p.m. and, if 'forever and ever Amen' could have been applied at the Church of God in Jamaica at Pitfour on Sunday night, it may very well have been singing to this moment. The six women and seven men filled the church like an ensemble thrice their number, their combined voices somehow having distinctive individual touches but inextricably moulded together. Their 40-minute set ended with a cry of 'Holy', by which time several members of the audience had risen to their feet, danced their hearts out and given exultant cries of spiritual fulfilment.
