Young Critic Review: LONDON COMMUNITY GOSPEL CHOIR

The London Community Gospel Choir transformed the placid atmosphere of Lichfield Cathedral to one of vibrancy, excitement and warmth. The effortless uplifting vocal runs resonated not only in each spire of the Cathedral but within the soul of each individual.

Whilst battling against the non-existent acoustic, which as a Chorister at Lichfield Cathedral I can whole heartedly confirm, this choir managed to capture the spirit of what the fundamental Christian message is – community of faith and love. Echoing this previous statement was one of their many inspiring lyrics – ‘If we live in God, God will live in us’. Impressively, having accepted the feedback from the initial half, the choir were forced to continue acapella abandoning their previous set list. However in light of this, I would argue that this is what truly capsulated the interest of the audience as it enabled for a repertoire that included a number of well known classics such as ‘Lean On Me’, ‘Let It Be’ and ‘When The Saints Go Marching In’ which vocally unified the audience. Moreover, the interactive nature was the highlight of this event, representing the all-encompassing aspect of the community of faith, creating the story of Christ on a human level.

The crowd of Lichfield some may say lacked in spirit during the opening, but soon found their rhythm with the enthusiastic Bazil Meade MBE at the forefront of the performance. Furthermore, this concert exemplified the diversity of faith within one religion, bringing gospel singing to a choral centre was a joyous experience to be a part of. Spiritual harmonies which emulate the biblical depiction of angelic music were thoroughly expressed throughout the evening. Overall, this performance excelled in unforeseen circumstances, with heart-warming spiritual voices shrouding the building in love and harmony.

By Lucy H.

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