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ST. LOUIS For nearly four hours recently, about 7,000 people, almost all of them African-American, made a joyful noise unto the Lord - singing along with gospel classics, cheering on their favorite choir and praising God.
They were attending the St. Louis regional finals for "How Sweet the Sound: The Search for the Best Church Choir in America."
The evening was organized by Verizon Wireless as a straightforward competition among eight church choirs. By the end of the night, contestants and audience members had participated in a powerful, if heartbreakingly brief, moment of racial harmony.
Racism has been a nasty undercurrent in plenty of national debates. Many commentators, including former President Jimmy Carter, have suggested racism is at the root of the virulent opposition to many of President Barack Obama's policy proposals.
But on this Monday night, faith partnered with music to serve as a balm for our racial ills.
Gospel music itself was founded within an institution that embodied evil - the American slave trade. For generations, African-Americans have stayed in touch with their past through their churches, transforming a distinct style of musical worship from harrowing history into celebration.
"African-Americans have a way of delivering a song with a certain spirit," said Anita Watkins Stevens, director of music ministries at New Sunny Mount Missionary Baptist Church in St. Louis. "For us, it's not a performance, but the essence of what we are."
Stevens leads New Sunny Mount's choir, which came into the contest as defending champion. Last year, its choir won the overall prize and went on to compete in the national finals in Atlanta.
Of the eight choirs competing, three were mostly white. And one after another, they sang traditionally African-American gospel songs in an African-American style, surprising - and delighting - the crowd and judges. But it was the choir from Festus, Mo., that brought the audience to its feet. Most of the choirs performed wearing colorful choir robes. One was costumed in traditional African garb. All 75 Faith Baptist choir members walked onstage in either a black cocktail dress or a tuxedo. Choir director Michael Nickelson wore black tails.
All night, there had been an aura of insider knowledge to "How Sweet the Sound." The judges included the Rev. Marvin Sapp, a Michigan pastor and gospel superstar, and gospel legend Dorinda Clark Cole. This was an audience that knew gospel music, and that made Nickelson and some choir members nervous.
"I thought we might be made fun of," choir member Jenny Horn said later. Nickelson said he thought his choir "might look like a bunch of wannabes."
"I didn't want to be a white choir trying to be a black choir," he added. The choir began slowly and quietly, harmonizing a gospel classic, Andrae Crouch's "Soon and Very Soon." Then, at the beginning of the second verse, Nickelson shed his tails, tossing his coat stage left, just as the choir picked up the tempo.
He was in the zone, employing a time-honored choir director tradition of using his entire body to guide his band and singers.
He kicked his legs as he summoned certain notes. A mimed swing of his arms was a signal for more volume.
Choir wins spot in finals
The crowd roared its approval. Choir members got into the spirit, too, clapping and moving their bodies to the music. When Faith Baptist finished, a standing ovation was unnecessary. Audience members were already on their feet. The judges seemed equally amazed.
"I have never seen a white brother move like that," said Cole, speaking of Nickelson.
By the end of the night, Faith Baptist had won the audience award, the large choir award and the overall best choir award. The choir will compete this month in the finals in Detroit.
Nickelson said Faith Baptist's audition DVD was nothing like its performance. The choir's musical style is typical of large contemporary Christian evangelical churches - an up-tempo, soft-rock feel. Nickelson said he realized his choir's version of the famous song needed more life. He wasn't sure how to achieve that, but then, in the weeks before the competition, Nickelson saw something. While watching Michael Jackson's memorial service, he noticed that as the singer's casket was brought into the Staples Center, a choir sang "Soon and Very Soon."
"They started slow and built the tempo up to the third verse," Nickelson said. "I thought, 'We've got to try that.'"
It worked.
Color blindness
Thirty hours after their big win, Faith Baptist choir members gathered in their sanctuary, this time wearing red shirts and jeans. It was 5:30 on a Wednesday morning, and a KSDK-TV crew had come to Festus to shoot a few songs for its morning show. In between songs, choir members said the enthusiasm of the audience on Monday had moved them.
"It felt very surreal and like a dream," Horn said. "I've never felt so encouraged, welcomed and loved by a large group."
Choir members said the crowd reaction was the biggest honor of their night.
"If it hadn't been for that audience, we wouldn't have performed the way we did," said Tracy Vittoe.
Ultimately, though, choir members credited a larger force for their win.
"Music has that power to cross barriers," said Patty Colbertson. "It didn't matter what color we were or what color the audience was, faith and music brought us together."
