Essence of Joy, a Penn State student gospel choir, will perform at 8 p.m. on Saturday in the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center.

The concert will also feature the Westminster Jubilee Singers, a student-based gospel group from the Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey.

Essence of Joy performs sacred and secular music from the African-American tradition. This semester, the choir has been exceptionally busy performing several times in the local area and also in other states including New Jersey, North Carolina, New York and, most recently, Minnesota.

The choir already joined the Jubilee Singers at a concert in its hometown in January.

Tony Leach, Essence of Joy conductor and founder, said both Essence of Joy and the Westminster Jubilee Singers will perform spirituals, and traditional and contemporary gospel music.

"There are not a lot of choirs in American universities who do this type of gospel music," Leach said. "Our mission has to be more broad because Essence of Joy is an academically accredited group."

Karl Fisher (junior-music) is a tenor in the choir.

"This is my second year in Essence of Joy, but I've probably been singing gospel-style music for six years," Fisher said.

Fisher said he is excited about the opportunity to perform with the Westminster Jubilee Singers, which has the same style as Essence of Joy. "It's nice to find a pure choir so close to home that we can share this with," he said.

Fisher said Essence of Joy also performs music by a variety of contemporary gospel musicians such as Kirk Franklin and Richard Smallwood.

"It's fresh. It's energetic, contemporary gospel music," he said.

Some students familiar with gospel music said they are excited about the show. Umut Civelek (sophomore-journalism) said he supports the type of music Essence of Joy showcases.

"It's refreshing to see music that is so full of energy nowadays," Civelek said. "Both the traditional and the contemporary sound of gospel music is uplifting."

Tickets will be available at the door one hour prior to the performance. They cost $4 for general admission and $2 for Penn State students.