Alia Snyder
Germantown’s gospel choir can’t wait to spread their voices far beyond the Mid-South, but have already experienced some success and failure along the way.
Around 2002, Germantown High started their gospel choir, which stemmed from the already existent ABC club. Over the years, the club grew and traveled under the care of the early childhood director Ms. Elizabeth Staples until several years ago when the club was run by another teacher.
Last year, Ms. Staples took back up the club and is now doing all she can to get gospel choir to regain its maximum potential. Even though the club has a sufficient amount of members to create a beautiful sound, bigger is not always better.
Throughout the course of the semester, the group has participated in several performances with conflict arising along the way. In October, the group sang background in the Memphis Gospel Music Festival for Beverly Crawford and Ricky Dillard, but the preparation for this event did run as smoothly as they hoped.
“We were acting up on the bus ride to one of the rehearsals at a church,” junior Amber Trent said.
The group was scolded for their behavior, and as punishment, the entire alto section of the choir was threatened to not be a part of the big trip to Atlanta, Georgia in January. The altos were on probation for about five rehearsals with minor acknowledgement in rehearsal and constant reminding they would not be allowed out of town.
With only two rehearsals a week on Tuesdays and Thursday, the punishment seemed to drag on forever to the members. Trent claimed the altos worked as hard as they could to regain their position for the trip since the alto section is vital for the choir.
Despite the set back, the group has performed in multiple events this school year already. In November the group sang behind Kevin Davidson in the Memphis Music Hall of Fame Induction ceremony. Later that month they sang background for GHS Alumni Alexia Goodwin’s CD single release.
Ms. Staples is wishing to continue to participate in more performances, and hopefully more outside of the city.
“I really want to start back travelling all over the country again. A few years back the choir travelled to North Carolina, Arkansas, Georgia. They were going all over the place, and I really want to bring that back to the group,” said Staples.
The trip to Atlanta January 24 through 26 will be the first out of town trip for the club in several years, and the group has been asked to sing at several church programs all over the city. Needless to say, they are all excited to go and spread the gospel with their voices.
Around 2002, Germantown High started their gospel choir, which stemmed from the already existent ABC club. Over the years, the club grew and traveled under the care of the early childhood director Ms. Elizabeth Staples until several years ago when the club was run by another teacher.
Last year, Ms. Staples took back up the club and is now doing all she can to get gospel choir to regain its maximum potential. Even though the club has a sufficient amount of members to create a beautiful sound, bigger is not always better.
Throughout the course of the semester, the group has participated in several performances with conflict arising along the way. In October, the group sang background in the Memphis Gospel Music Festival for Beverly Crawford and Ricky Dillard, but the preparation for this event did run as smoothly as they hoped.
“We were acting up on the bus ride to one of the rehearsals at a church,” junior Amber Trent said.
The group was scolded for their behavior, and as punishment, the entire alto section of the choir was threatened to not be a part of the big trip to Atlanta, Georgia in January. The altos were on probation for about five rehearsals with minor acknowledgement in rehearsal and constant reminding they would not be allowed out of town.
With only two rehearsals a week on Tuesdays and Thursday, the punishment seemed to drag on forever to the members. Trent claimed the altos worked as hard as they could to regain their position for the trip since the alto section is vital for the choir.
Despite the set back, the group has performed in multiple events this school year already. In November the group sang behind Kevin Davidson in the Memphis Music Hall of Fame Induction ceremony. Later that month they sang background for GHS Alumni Alexia Goodwin’s CD single release.
Ms. Staples is wishing to continue to participate in more performances, and hopefully more outside of the city.
“I really want to start back travelling all over the country again. A few years back the choir travelled to North Carolina, Arkansas, Georgia. They were going all over the place, and I really want to bring that back to the group,” said Staples.
The trip to Atlanta January 24 through 26 will be the first out of town trip for the club in several years, and the group has been asked to sing at several church programs all over the city. Needless to say, they are all excited to go and spread the gospel with their voices.