As homecoming week celebrations at ETSU were coming to an end this past weekend, the university’s Gospel Choir put on a grand finale show, their annual fall choir concert hosted by the Office of Multicultural Affairs, at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday in the D.P. Culp University Center Auditorium.
Gospel Choir President Donald Crenshaw took the stage first to introduce himself and his fellow Choir leaders as well as make the audience feel comfortable and welcome.
The Choir Chaplain then read from Scripture, Psalms 100, verses 1-5, saying, “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord. Serve the lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.”
The audience was also led in a prayer before performers at last entered center stage in formal wear ready to sing, dance, clap, and spread love and joy to everyone who would hear them. The best time you have ever had at church may be a good way to describe it.
Pure Praise, the vocal ensemble with members from all over Tennessee as well as Washington D.C. led by Choir Director Jimmy Young, kicked off the performance, inviting audience members to stand up, dance, clap their hands and sing along. In fact, they insisted. Young joked with the attendees that if they were not sweaty by the time they left, they had not done enough.
ETSU’s Gospel Choir was also joined by several other guest choirs and praise and dance teams. A small band consisting of a keyboardist, drummer and guitarist accompanied the vocal performers as well.
The atmosphere of the show remained upbeat and lively throughout the evening as audience members danced in the stands to the singers’ musical convictions of worship, praise, and thankfulness.
ETSU’s Gospel Choir is a student-run organization not associated with any particular denomination. They are open to all full-time ETSU students.
