March 13, 2008 issue
Sacred Singing for the Soul
ASU Gospel Choir Performs at Hayes Center March 20
Story by David Brewer
For centuries, countless cultures and societies have molded and shaped religious music by incorporating a variety of vocal and instrumental traditions. In America, religious music has been filtered through stringband and shape-note traditions in Appalachia, disseminated through European hymns and, most important, interpreted through the soul-stirring strains of black gospel.
Revolutionized by Thomas Dorsey in the first half of the 20th century with the incorporation of blues and jazz rhythms of the day, gospel music continues to evolve in the capable hands of modern composers and ensembles that carry the genre forward. One of those ensembles is performing in the High Country next week.
On Thursday, March 20, the ASU Gospel Choir will take the stage at the Hayes Performing Arts Center in Blowing Rock. The concert will start at 7:30 p.m.
Formed in the mid-1980s by Rev. Dr. Willie Fleming as a bible study for the Black Student Association, the ASU Gospel Choir has grown considerably from its original 30 members and now boasts 145 students for the spring semester and includes a band consisting of drums, bass guitar, lead guitar, piano, saxophones, trumpet, and trombone.
Led by Jason Thompson, the choir is a large vocal ensemble that is open to all students interested in singing literature drawn from the black religious experience in performances that reflect that ethnic background.
The choir performs a variety of sacred music including negro spirituals, black gospel, and contemporary praise and worship and has toured in several major cities, including Atlanta, Nashville and Washington, D.C. This past spring the choir toured in the Sunshine State, giving performances in Port St. Lucie and Orlando.
“It’s just truly a great ensemble,” said Thompson.
A native of Hillsborough, N.C., Thompson has served as the Gospel Choir director since 2006 when he began his tenure at ASU as an adjunct professor before assuming a full-time position. In addition to his duties with the Gospel Choir, Thompson also directs the Men’s Glee Club and the Jazz Vocal Ensemble.
According to Thompson, the Gospel Choir’s show at the Hayes Center will consist of 10 anthem, processional, invitational and gospel-style songs that will be divided in a manner similar to a church service.
“I’m going to explain some of the song forms and allow the audience to experience the best of gospel music,” said Thompson. “It’s amazing to hear a 145-voice choir sing with such a strong sound and also with a peaceful sound. A lot of people don’t think that’s possible.”
Thompson noted that the Gospel Choir consists of only soprano, alto and tenor parts, reflecting the genre’s shifting style that favors higher registers of the voice, as well as evolving instrumentation, which keep the style moving forward instead of merely focusing on its glorious past.
Tickets to the show are $5. For more info on the ASU Gospel Choir’s performance at the Hayes Center, call 828-295-9627 or click to www.brcac.org.
Want To Go?
Date: Thursday, March 20
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: Hayes Performing Arts Center
Cost: $5
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