The Gospel Choir’s first full concert was a night full of worship and the culmination of several people’s hard work. Ruth Naomi Floyd opened with a brief introduction, explaining the birth of gospel music. African slaves, in their deepest despair, lifted their songs and lifted their heads to God. The concert was aptly named, as gospel music was born when slaves found unspeakable joy in the midst of their deepest despair. This “music of the soul,” as Ms Floyd called it, has never died. She emphasized that the concert and gospel music overall is not about a show, but it is about praising God for His redemptive beauty and singing the gospel of Christ. The Gospel Choir, as well as special guest Paula Holloway, made the audience believe with a powerful and worshipful performance, a place that, as one student comments, “truly held the presence of the Holy Spirit.”

After the Gospel Choir performed a variety of songs, the audience could not get enough. The choir relented and sang a reprise. Paula Holoway took to the stage. She reminded the audience that, “before we praise Him, we have to understand why we praise Him.” She told the story of the woman who washed Jesus’ feet, and invited the audience to come to God regardless of anyone’s background.

After Ms. Holloway’s performance, Deion Peyton told how the Gospel Choir came to Cairn. At first, he felt uncomfortable and out of place at Cairn, but his mother would not let him transfer for that reason alone. Deion knew that God called him here, and he learned to give God glory with all sides of himself, whether through traditional and “proper” music, or through gospel music. Gospel Choir became a class after Deion partnered with Dr. Harding. Deion is now the conductor of Gospel Choir, alongside Ms. Floyd. Then, the Singers United Ensemble came to the stage and joined Deion in singing some of his original songs.

Taylor Samuels, a student, returned to the stage to perform a solo before the Gospel Choir returned for one last song. Spontaneous worship broke out at multiple points throughout the evening, but the worshipful heart of the performance was most clear at the very end. Instead of a traditional stage exit, the Gospel Choir began dancing and singing together. No one, neither the choir nor the audience, wanted to stop praising God. “If they hadn’t stopped the music,” commented one student, “it would have gone on all night.” Another anonymous student entered the concert claiming that she did not enjoy gospel music and left saying it was the best concert she had ever attended. This concert, with beautiful voices and hearts, made believers of the whole audience.