The last time I was in New York City with friends we did the admittedly touristy thing and went to the Metropolitan Baptist Church in Harlem to hear a gospel mass. Embarrassingly underdressed we crept in the back hoping to go unnoticed. What started as a bit of a novelty though, turned out to be a highlight of our trip. There was even a “Welcome Our Visitors” section of the mass. Three hours passed by in what felt like about 20 minutes and praising God suddenly didn’t seem like such a chore while listening to “Just a Little Talk with Jesus.” Cap that off with the amazing soul food we had a couple of blocks from there and the day was more or less perfect. So when I saw a flyer for a performance by the Harlem Gospel Choir at Sanders Theater in Cambridge I knew I couldn’t pass it up.
Within about 20 minutes of the start of the show I was dancing and singing the tenor section of a three part harmony that the choir had taught us. Now if you knew me, you’d know that both of these things are out of the ordinary to say the least. If you add in the fact that the lyrics were “do you know a man from Galilee?” you have a truly shocking event. But my enthusiasm was nothing compared to that of the performers, who seemed like some of the happiest people on the planet. And who could blame them? As they ripped through standards like “Oh Happy Day” and modern hits like “I Believe I Can Fly,” the entire performance seemed to embody a feeling of positivity that few other art forms can even hope to approach. The program’s title really captured it all: “Joyful Noise”
I was at a bar recently where there was a band playing and no one was paying much attention to them. They actually even stopped a couple of times to tell us we were being rude and should stop talking so loud. It struck me as funny that instead of making us want to pay attention by playing good music they just felt we owed them something. I thought of that moment on Saturday when one of the members of the choir said something like “I want to warn you, you are permitted to dance and make noise. Even if the person sitting next to you doesn’t think you have the gift of song, you can sing anyway!” It was such a contrast. They knew that their music was so infectious that we couldn’t help but join in. They didn’t need to coax us into paying attention, we were instinctually drawn to participate. It was one of those rare shows where the whole theater felt compelled to be a part of the performance. One of the sopranos summed up the mood so well; “We have fun when you have fun!”
The Joyful Noise Gospel Concert has been presented for the past 21 years as a celebration of the life and works of Martin Luther King Jr. Besides the Harlem Gospel Choir, the performance also featured the Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School Vocal Ensemble and OrigiNation’s NIA Dance Troupe from Roxbury Massachusetts.
that inescapable feeling you are referring to, is that like when you hear something and you could have sworn you heard it before because of the nostalgic catchy quality? or is is like when you’ve heard a band exactly like said band?
great post by the way!
by paul on Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 03.15 pm from the entry: The Novel Ideas - "The Sky Is A Field" - Borrow It
Whoa! I had no idea she was enegaged. You would never know with the way she behaves! Wow!
by art on Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 09.48 am from the entry: Nikki Darlin and John McCauley: 1+1=1
This comment stream is so meta. Great review Kelly.
by chris on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 07.50 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
no prob. The whole album is excellent, combining some of the harder sonics of Los Angeles with the meat of his debut and obviously difficult to summarize in only 50 words… 
I’d say it’s on par with the debut, but better than Los Angeles.
by kelly on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 06.23 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
By the way, I really liked the mp3 posted. Thanks.
by Joshua H on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 06.17 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
WHO WROTE THIS...PUKE ! “WHO WROTE THIS...PUKE ! “Picture yourself coasting your bike past space funk palm trees, homeless harpists, vintage video arcades, electronic drum circles, and 60s psychedelic singers who’re waiting for the bus. Cosmogramma is kinda like that if someone suddenly tripped you just as you’re starting to enjoy the ride. But in a good way.””
by Joshua H on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 06.17 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
you’ll notice the author’s name under title.
by kelly on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 06.11 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
