Gospel music is a vibrant fusion of African folk music and European hymns. Rooted in the spiritual (the creation of African-Americans in the 19th century), the joy of gospel music has had a profound influence on 20th century 'pop' music. The Gospel Train is a medley of three best-loved gospel songs that would be perfect as a concert opener or encore. The laid-back swing of 'Go Down, Moses' is contrasted by 'Oh Happy Day ' (used in the Whoopi Goldberg film Sister Act) and concludes with the unstoppable finale 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough'. The spiritual 'Standing in the Need of Prayer' is a simple meditative melody with a pleasing, repetitive chord sequence.
If you are looking for straightforward and rewarding repertoire for your beginner choir, then you need look no further than Choral Basics the perfect series for singers of all ages.
The simple 3-part choral arrangements for soprano, alto and a combined part for men's voices make the series perfect for choirs with a dearth of males or whose male singers have unstable or changing voices. The rich array of repertoire is bound to be a hit with younger singers and the technical abilities of choirs at this level have been taken into consideration. Straightforward and idiomatic piano accompaniments have been included and are designed to support the vocal lines, without putting pressure on staff with less developed keyboard skills.