Gospel choir goes to Chicago

By GRETCHEN GUEGUEN
Collegian Staff Writer

Chicago, get ready. Penn State students are preparing to spread the word -- and that's the "gospel truth."

Essence of Joy, a gospel choir directed by Tony Leach, assistant professor of music, performs African-American spirituals and contemporary pieces both secular and sacred. The group will travel to the Windy City to perform today at the national convention of the American Choral Directors Association.

It's the first time the choir has traveled to the convention. It was invited after convention organizers accepted Leach's proposals for the sessions.

The group offers a change of pace from other university choirs.

"The music is so different than anything other traditional choirs perform," said Andrea Bidelspach (senior-music education), who has been with the choir for six semesters. "Gospel music is normally found within the church. It is extracted here to perform in a choir. It is like nothing else in the school of music."

That uniqueness of sound was what drew Korey Jackson (sophomore-music education) to join the choir this semester.

"I heard them perform and was completely taken in by what they do," Jackson said.

Currently the choir practices on Sunday and Wednesday nights.

"Although there haven't been any extra rehearsals, we have all been putting in extra personal rehearsal time," Jackson said.

While the students have been spending extra time preparing, Leach has been spending extra time planning. Transportation, housing and meals all have to be planned for the trip, which will last until Thursday.

Essence of Joy will be performing in two special interest sessions. In the first session the group will be singing traditional hymns and gospel songs that have been transformed by contemporary Chicago composers.

The second session will feature works by contemporary African-American composers.

The convention is not just a chance for Essence of Joy to perform, though.

"The convention is a wonderful gathering of choirs and musicians from all over the world," Leach said.

While there, they will have opportunities to hear those choirs as well as perform and collaborate with them.

Leach organized Essence of Joy in the fall of 1991 for a performance at the Martin Luther King Jr. banquet sponsored by the Forum on Black Affairs at Penn State. Leach, who was then in his first year of working on a doctoral degree, led what he calls a "pick-up choir" with student performers from various campus choirs. It later was added to the curriculum when Leach joined the faculty.

Essence of Joy will perform its Spring Concert at 8 p.m. on April 10 in Recital Hall.