Gospel choir makes Muhlenberg "Rejoice"

This past weekend, Muhlenberg celebrated the Tenth Anniversary of Gospel Weekend on Friday, Feb. 17 and Saturday, Feb. 18. Members of the college’s Rejoice Gospel Choir joined some alumni and members of other choirs in the Allentown community and performed a very moving concert celebrating love, unity, and faith. On Friday, there were two open rehearsals, as well as an open rehearsal on Saturday before the actual concert, performed from 3:30 p.m. to about 5 p.m. Whether you were only able to attend an open rehearsal or you had an opportunity to see the concert, there is no doubt that every person who listened to these songs could immediately sense the talent and passion that drives the Rejoice Gospel Choir. The concert consisted of 10 faith-filled songs, two of which were performed by only the current members of Rejoice. There were also a few dances to add to the overall experience, and especially to pay tribute to the choir’s founder, Karen Green. Overall, this concert was a wonderful experience for every person involved.

Green, who created the original Rejoice choir, held the position of Dean of Students for 10 years. She started the Gospel Choir in order to create a spiritual musical ensemble, something that Muhlenberg did not have at the time. The choir is very reflective of Muhlenberg’s values of diversity and inclusivity in that the choir consists of students of various backgrounds, ethnicities, and religious affiliations. Despite these differences, this musical group allows students to feel united through their music and their combined passion for their respective beliefs.

Currently, Rejoice is directed by Eric Thompson ‘10, who was one of the first students to participate in the gospel choir when it began. He currently works at Muhlenberg as an Assistant Director of Admissions. Thompson continues his involvement with Rejoice because, as he says, “Everyone comes with so much love and so much energy to sing God’s praises. I really enjoy the energy that the members of this choir bring with them. And I think that this group of students is a very important part of the campus, because this is the only choir that sings this type of music and provides this type of experience.”

In addition to the hard work put in by Thompson and the rest of the choir, this weekend the guest musician Edward “Chief” Menifee came to the college in order to assist in the concert. Menifee usually works at the Morehouse College Chapel in Atlanta, GA, but he has taken the time to work with Muhlenberg’s Gospel singers in order to craft an excellent performance. Under the combined direction and talents of Thompson and Menifee, the concert was a great success.

The whole experience was definitely an accurate representation of the values, such as friendship and love, held by this choir. The opening song was titled “Hug Somebody,” and two minutes into the concert, every person in the chapel had gotten up and started hugging both friends and strangers. This spirit of joy and togetherness carried on throughout the rest of the event, as evidenced by the choir’s and the audience’s overwhelming enthusiasm for the music, the religious aspect of the performance, or both. Dean Green mentioned in a speech before the final song that no matter what each individual member’s beliefs are, they become united and enthusiastic because they recognize the effect of being in the choir. “[The Gospel Choir] is a ministry,” said Green. “What is important is light, love, and hope: these three things can change the world.”

By the end of the concert, the audience seemed to be glad that they took the time to come and support the Gospel Choir. In addition, the members of the choir seemed overjoyed at being able to participate in this event. Several of the original members of the choir were able to come from places such as New Jersey and New York in order to share their time with the current Rejoice choir.

When asked what he hoped the audience would take away from the concert, Thompson replied, “I hope that this concert lifted their spirits, and that they were able to let go of whatever was weighing down on their hearts. I also hope that this gave them the opportunity to sing along, and that maybe some people were convinced to join the choir. Really whatever each person was able to take away from this concert, I think that feeling or experience is good.”