LOCAL CHURCHES: HOW THEY HONED, SUPPORTED AND LAUNCHED GOSPEL MUSIC TALENT

Juliet Fletcher writes about the role local churches have played in helping to hone, develop and support gospel music talent and develop the gospel scene

When reporting on British Gospel Music history, we very rarely get to read about the specific local churches that championed certain musical achievements and became landmark places, where key bands, choirs and soloists emerged. During this 2023 BHM/Windrush 75 commemorative year, it excites me to be alive and to celebrate some of the local churches that represent significant developments and sounds, which in some instances became game-changers.

A GAME-CHANGER EXAMPLE

My local church, COGIC Wood Street, began in 1968 and, like most Black groupings of the time, went from a front-room fellowship to worship services in church and community halls until we procured our very own building in 1993. Before we became the impacting local branch of COGIC in the ’70s, we had a change in leadership – not for a bad reason, however it opened up a new era.

In 1973, the founding leader – Pastor Winston Maxwell – migrated to the USA with his eight children. That left us with just two guys. All the girls were in their teens and early 20s! However, a change occurred before our new pastor arrived via the Red Lion pub on the corner of the high road that led to our church. The pub attracted sound systems and young Black youths/men. As a predominantly young female congregation, passing by the pub to reach our church was a daunting prospect. Overcoming our fears, a few of us courageously invited some of the whistling cat-calling guys from the pub to attend church. They accepted and got saved! Maybe over 20 guys in all!

That influx of men brought about our superb manlicious (sorry, I love making up words like that!) choir – with coveted tenor power. We called ourselves The New Jerusalem Choir (NJC). Our early repertoire included (now) classic songs, like Somebody’s Knockin’; Lord, Help Me to Hold Out; I Don’t Feel No Ways Tired, found on LPs of the legendary Rev James Cleveland of Savoy Records. NJC’s reputation was already on the rise, with a superlative selection of songs and because of the tonal quality of our harmonies.

The music landscape changed in the 1970s and ’80s with advancements in technology, air travel, international TV transmission, and various music genres. Influential figures, such as Billy Graham, T. L. Osborn, A. A. Allen, and Morris Cerullo impacted the Black Church populace. These factors converged, fostering transformative changes in musical skills and knowledge.

LOCAL CHURCH – MAKING BRAVE VISIONARY DECISIONS

These changes transformed our church, and our new pastor – himself relatively young – was thrilled he had this thriving youth-driven branch. We had a young people’s business meeting (yeah!) on how as young people we could raise money and contribute towards a new church van.

I had started to observe how Christian bands in America and UK were doing concerts where people pay. So I suggested we do that and every young person agreed. Douglas Wallace, as Pastor’s eldest son, said he would ask permission, and ‘Dad Wallace’ said YES!

COGIC Wood Street (then known as our church) staged the ‘first in-house gospel concert, selling paid-for-tickets. And what a night it was! Over 300 people packed the British Legion Hall on Leytonstone High Road to capacity. The event featured two choirs: my church, the New Jerusalem Choir. (NJC), and the Latter-Rain Outpouring Revival Choir (LROR), led by Bazil Meade and Carl Boothe. It was the first time the young people of my church had invited a different church choir to be part of an event alongside them. Every song was properly chosen, knowing it would ‘take us higher’ and guarantee a true message. Sadly, the concert was VERY badly received by our Honourable Presiding Bishop R. C. Bell. The outcry was horrendous: “How can you sell the Gospel? The Gospel is FREE!”

But the new possibilities now loomed clearly in my mind. From that time onwards, I began to promote gospel concerts in town halls, and other promoters, like Ken Johnson of Miracle Music/Church Of God (Seventh Day); Ralph Weekes of Pure Gospel/Shiloh Pentecostal Church; Del White of NIA

Project; and Mike Johnson of Seventh-Day Adventist came to the fore.

LOCAL START – INTERNATIONAL REACH

There are many local churches that have made – and continue to make – a mark for gospel music. Here’s a list of some of them: Wood

Street Tabernacle – Cogic East London

Facts: First local church to stage ticket-paying concerts. Birthplace of Simon Wallace R&B Soul Band, Clarity and Angelic Voice Choirs, who were winners of the Black Gospel Association (BGA) trip to the world-renowned Chicago Music Festival.

outfits – were both sought-after for television appearances, touring and recordings. The Thomas family of eight are at the heart of these two vocal power sources. Facts: Merrybells appeared on legendary TV show, People Get Ready. They won BBC’s Stevie Wonder Music Award. Tyndale Thomas was the first person in Britain to receive an MBE from Queen Elizabeth II for services to Gospel Music, especially in Preston. To this day, huge choir festivals and independent choirs are run in Germany (mainly by David Thomas).

New Testament Assembly, Tooting, London

This venue has become one of the leading so-called “legacy churches” for the Black Church movement out of the Windrush era. Fact: Singspiration was an annual event which garnered support from various Pentecostal churches and was a port of developing vocal and musical talent. Bishop Delroy Powell, based there, is one of the co-founders of LCGC. Marcia Lennon (nee Quarry) is a legendary choir director who honed her skills at the church.

Handsworth Hutton Road SDA –The Singing Stewarts – Pioneers of Gospel Folk

Facts: They pre-dated LCGC and signed to the Daybreak record label, toured Europe, and more than five US states and Canada, appearing on TV and radio. Led by choir director Paulette Peters, the Choir nurtured child prodigy Steve Thompson, who became an arranger and producer for renowned international songwriter Graham Kendrick.

New Testament Church of God, Willesden

Facts: A pioneering church which honed one of the first bands of NTCG – Sounds Of Zion – and spawned future church leader Rev Dr Joel Edwards, who began as a guitarist, and bassist Derek McIntyre – the nucleus of pioneering gospel soul funk band, Kainos.

First-Born Church of the Living God, White Lion Street, Islington

The rise of ‘super choirs’ is a description of vocal outfits that impacted how British Gospel was perceived and achieved new levels of commercial success – particularly into the ’80s and ’90s. The charismatic power of ‘The Inspirational Choir’, led by John Francis and managed by his older brother Roy Francis, made this difference. The spotlight of the music industry and the media fell upon this local church.

Fact: Inspirational Choir appeared on the top-five chart single, Wings of a Dove, by pop band Madness. John Francis went on to co-host People Get Ready with Juliet Coley BCAe, one of the most successful national TV programmes for British Gospel.

Longseight – COG7thDay The Challengers/Merrybell Gospel Choir

In the north west, The Merrybell Gospel Choir and The Challengers – two different gospel

The Stewart family came to the UK from Trinidad at the beginning of the decade known as ‘the Swinging Sixties’. The five brothers, three sisters and their parents settled in the Midlands, worshipping in the Seventh-Day Adventist tradition. Their repertoire of traditional gospel and calypso music exploded across the region.

Fact: The group achieved national fame in Germany, and had their own annual Christmas shows on BBC TV. Their success helped shore up the growth of family groups and quartets.

Handsworth/Lozells – NTCG Majestic Singers: Choral Trailblazers

In the mid ’70s, Justin Lewis, the District Youth Director, was so inspired to galvanise the young people’s musical and vocal talents of the local church, that he birthed The Majestic Singers.

Highgate Gospel Choir, B12 0DF, NTCG Another trailblazing Midlands-based gospel outfit, and located just six miles down the road from Handsworth, is the Highgate Gospel Choir, who were pushing the boundaries of their choral sound by aiming at a more contemporary production sound. Fact: Because of the controversy of gospel singers working with pop stars, it was kept quiet that the choir were the original choral sound behind the hit single, Something Inside (So Strong), written and sung by singer/ songwriter Labi Siffre. The choir included Pam and Fritz McIntyre – children of Bishop Dr Jeremiah McIntyre (NTCG Administrative Bishop 1978-1984). Fritz McIntyre would go on to become a founding member of pop band Simply Red, garnering an international reputation and hit records.

Highgate Choir are marking 40 years with a reunion of original members and releasing an exciting new album with executive producer Donavan Hepburn (20DB, Take That).

Our Need For Longevity In Local Music

We must keep our local churches as thriving places for creating great music and the arts. Seeing the decline of church choirs has been devastatingly sad. Our local churches are where real singers, musicians and other creative talents are honed and where they become great contributors to the wider community for the GLORY of GOD! Let’s do more. The Church has the wealth and the ability to make this next generation thrive without the struggles of the past.