Gospel Choir to inspire audience through song

Caitlin Potts

Kent State University’s Gospel Choir (KSUGC) will be “Indescribable” Friday, May 3 in the Cartwright Auditorium.Students and community members involved in the choir will perform religious pieces at 7:30 p.m. Johnequa Washington, junior integrative studies major, is a soprano in the choir. She said the title “Indescribable” suits the concert perfectly.“It will be exactly what the name says,” Washington said. “Out of all the KSUGC’s I have been a part of, we are so unified with one another. We feed off of each other’s energy.”The show will feature Sharmayne Thomas, a special guest artist and soprano. Washington said Thomas will perform three pieces selected from her senior recital.“The music that will come out of her mouth will blow you away and leave the audience amazed and surprised,” Washington said.Senior Nike Olabisi, KSU Gospel Choir Student Assistant, choreographed dance moves for the show.“We want people to see expression through movement, and with this choreography, we will bring our concert to life,” Washington said.Along with dance moves, Christen Bradford, senior communication studies major, hopes the music will touch the audience.“My favorite piece thus far has been ‘I Wanna Know Your Ways,’” Bradford said. “It’s such a fun song, and I have a rap solo in it.”Other musical pieces include the song “Indescribable,” originally recorded by Chris Tomlin, sung by choir member Andre Taylor, junior pre-human development and family studies major.As a group, the choir will sing everything from contemporary songs to timeless pieces by Mozart and George Gershwin.Washington said she wants the show to leave a strong impact on audience members and make them feel enlightened.“If we touch at least one person, I will feel like we did a job well done,” Washington said. “I hope they continue to have faith and hear the word through our music.” Admission to the concert is free.The Kent State Gospel Choir is made up of Kent State students and community members. It was founded in 1996 by Linda Walker, professor of music.Caitlin Potts is the on-campus entertainment and performing arts reporter for the Daily Kent Stater. Contact her at [email protected].