HISTORICAL REMEMBRANCE
TO GOD BE THE GLORY FOR THE GREAT THINGS HE HAS DONE!
OUR FOUNDER, THE LATE REV. DR. ODIE DAVIS BROWN WOULD BE SO PROUD OF HOW FAR WE'VE COME. HIS VISION TO ESTABLISH A GROUP OF SECOND BAPTIST MEMBERS TO SING GOD'S PRAISES, FOCUSING PRIMARILY ON THE GOSPEL MUSIC GENRE, WOULD PROVE TO BE THE CATALYST FOR WHAT HAS BECOME A RICHMOND INSTITUTION. HISTORICALLY, SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH WAS HIGHLY REGARDED FOR ITS RICH HERITAGE AND EXCELLENCE IN MUSIC AND DRAMA. OUR ORGANIZATION WAS BIRTHED IN THE MIDST OF THE INIMITABLE MUSICAL ACCOMPLISHMENT AND REPUTATION OF HARRY SAVAGE, PREZELIA GOODWIN, ANNE AND MAURICE WILLIAMS, AS WELL AS THE INCOMPARABLE STAGING AND PRODUCTION GENIUS OF J.W. ROBINSON HORNE. THEIR COMBINED STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE FORMED THE BASIS ON WHICH OUR ORGANIZATION WOULD BE COMPELLED TO GROW AND DEVELOP.
THE 1960'S AND 1970'S WAS AN IMPORTANT AND PIVOTAL TIME IN OUR COUNTRY AND IN BAPTIST CHURCHES NATIONWIDE. THIS WAS A TIME OF TRANSITION. THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT HAD IMPACTED AND INFLUENCED THE THINKING OF THE COUNTRY AS A WHOLE. THE BLACK BAPTIST CHURCH PLAYED A HUGE ROLE IN SUPPORTING THE MOVEMENT AND, IN DOING SO, WAS AFFECTED BY THE FORWARD THINKING OF THE MOVEMENT'S ORGANIZERS AND FOOT SOLDIERS. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., WHO WAS THE MOST VISIBLE LEADER OF THE TIME, BROUGHT WITH HIM A VISION OF PRIDE AND APPRECIATION OF OUR HERITAGE.
MORE AND MORE CHURCHES STARTED TO EMBRACE THE MUSIC OF OUR SOULS. THE SPONTANEOUS LIFTING OF VOICES IN SPIRITUAL ACCLAMATION TOOK ON A WHOLE NEW REVERENCE. THE HEARTFELT AND SINCERE MUSIC RENDERINGS OF THE WEEKLY PRAYER SERVICES AND PERIODS OF IMPROMPTU TESTIMONY BEGAN FINDING ITS WAY INTO THE REGULAR ORDER OF SERVICE ON SUNDAY MORNINGS. THE MOVE FROM STANDARD HYMNS, ANTHEMS AND SPIRITUALS TO HAND CLAPPING AND FOOT PATTING WAS NOT WITHOUT RESISTANCE. MANY OBSTACLES LAY AHEAD FOR ACCEPTANCE OF SPIRIT FILLED MUSIC REPLACING THE STAID AND CONTROLLED BOUNDARIES OF THE WRITTEN AND NOTED SCRIPT. THOSE LEADERS AT THE TIME WHO HAD VISION BEGAN LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR GROUPS SUCH AS OURS TO BE ESTABLISHED, AS WELL AS GROW AND FLOURISH. ONE SUCH LEADER WAS REV. DR. ODIE DAVIS BROWN.
SIMULTANEOUSLY, I WAS GROWING AND DEVELOPING BOTH SPIRITUALLY AND MUSICALLY IN THE CHURCH. AS A YOUNG MEMBER AT SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH, CIRCA 1968, I ORGANIZED A SMALL GROUP OF SINGERS FROM THE YOUTH CHOIR AND WAS GRANTED AN OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT A SHORT SUNDAY MORNING GOSPEL MUSIC SELECTION. THIS GROUP OF BRAVE YOUNG PEOPLE HUMBLY SANG THAT DAY UNDER THE BANNER OF “THE ODIE BROWN YOUTH ENSEMBLE". ALBEIT SHORT LIVED, AS IT TURNS OUT, THESE SAME YOUNG PEOPLE WOULD GO ON TO BECOME THE CORE FOR THE FORMATION OF A SET OF "VOLUNTEERS" TO PROVIDE MUSIC AT SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH DURING A TIME OF VOLATILITY WITHIN THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT WHICH RESULTED IN SEVERAL MUSIC DIRECTOR VACANCIES. THIS TRANSITION SURROUNDED REV. BROWN’S FERVENT AND SINCERE PUSH FOR ACCEPTANCE AND INCLUSION OF GOSPEL MUSIC WITHIN THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT AT THE CHURCH. THIS GROUP OF SINGERS WOULD ALSO BE THE BASE ON WHICH THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT WOULD REVAMP ITSELF, REESTABLISHING THE TRADITIONAL CHOIRS OF THE CHURCH, WITH THE REMAINING MEMBERS STAYING TOGETHER TO FOCUS ON GOSPEL MUSIC APPRECIATION AND DEVELOPMENT. THE VOLUNTEER CHOIR, WITH ITS ROOTS IN THE GROUND OF THAT 1968 LEAP OF FAITH, WAS ESTABLISHED.
IN THE WHOLE SCHEME OF THINGS AT THE TIME, OUR SPIRITUAL COMMUNITIES WERE BEING INFLUENCED BY THOMAS DORSEY, THE GREAT MAHALIA JACKSON, THE HARMONIZING FOUR, JAMES CLEVELAND, CLARA WARD AND SO MANY OTHER GREATS. GOSPEL MUSIC WAS FINDING ITS WAY INTO THE MAINSTREAM AND INTO THE HEARTS OF YEARNING CONGREGATIONS EVERYWHERE. AND THEN, IN 1971 A HUGE CHANGE TOOK PLACE WITH THE APPEARANCE ON THE SCENE OF EDWIN HAWKINS AND THE HAWKINS SINGERS' "0 HAPPY DAY". THE INFLUENCE OF THIS GROUP AND THE LIKES OF ANDRE CROUCH AND SO MANY OTHERS CAUSED A HUGE GROUND SWELL OF APPRECIATION FOR RHYTHM AND USE OF DRUMS AND OTHER INSTRUMENTS IN THE MUSIC OF THE CHURCH. LIKEWISE, THERE WAS AN EVER EVOLVING LOCAL MANIFESTATION OF GOOD GOSPEL MUSIC IN THE PRESENCE OF DORIS ANN ALLEN AND THE JEWELS, THE VIRGINIA CHORALE ENSEMBLE, THE REVEREND VERNON "BILLY" LEE AND THE PETERSBURG YOUTH CHOIR. HAVING ALL THESE INFLUENCES OF THE NATIONAL AND LOCAL PLATFORM TO BUILD UPON, OUR ORGANIZATION BEGAN ITS JOURNEY ON THE ROAD OF GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT.
LED INITIALLY BY SEVERAL TALENTED DIRECTORS, MOST NOTABLY DORIS ANN ALLEN, THE CHOIR DEVELOPED AND BECAME AN ACCEPTED ENTITY WITHIN THE AUSPICES OF SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH. AT THAT TIME, IT IS NOTEWORTHY TO RECOGNIZE THE SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP AND GUIDANCE OF THE CHOIR'S FIRST PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR, DEACON JOSEPH D. HORNE, WHO WAS ALSO DURING THAT TIME SUPERINTENDENT OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOL PROGRAM AT SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH.
IN 1971, RIDING ON MY SUCCESSFUL DIRECTORSHIP OF THE GOSPEL SIX AND SEVERAL OTHER CHURCH CHOIRS AND LOCAL GROUPS, I TOOK THE HELM OF LEADERSHIP AND BEGAN EXPERIMENTING WITH THE CONCEPT OF THE "SHOW CHOIR". INCORPORATING MY FORMAL MUSIC STUDIES AT VIRGINIA STATE COLLEGE AND EXPOSURE TO THE MARCHING 110 BAND, COMBINING STAGING, PRECISION DRILL AND EXCELLENCE IN MUSIC INTERPRETATION, MY APPROACH TO THIS NEW PRESENTATION BECAME A HUGELY CONTROVERSIAL INFLUENCE IN THE RICHMOND METROPOLITAN AREA. IT IS NOTEWORTHY THAT DURING THAT SAME PERIOD OF TIME, 1972 TO BE PRECISE, I ALSO ORGANIZED AND FOUNDED THE VIRGINIA STATE COLLEGE GOSPEL ENSEMBLE. THIS GROUP HAS ALSO MATURED AND IS NOW GARNERING NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION UNDER THE CURRENT LEADERSHIP OF JAMES HOLDEN, PERRY EVANS AND MICHAEL RAINEY.
THE FRESH APPROACH OF A PRECISELY CHOREOGRAPHED AND METICULOUSLY DRESSED PERFORMING ENSEMBLE OF YOUNG PEOPLE CONTRIBUTED GREATLY TO THE EXPANSION OF THE CHOIR'S MEMBERSHIP INTO THE COMMUNITY AND BEYOND. THE CHOIR'S GROWTH SPURT TOOK ON A HUGE SURGE INCORPORATING THE MEMBERSHIPS OF CHOIR MEMBERS FROM GLEN ALLEN (ABNER BAPTIST CHURCH) AND MECHANICSVILLE, VA (FIRST UNION CHURCH AND FIRST SHILOH BAPTIST CHURCH) IN ESSENCE TRIPLING THE MEMBERSHIP TO THE 125 PEAK THAT BECAME AN AWE INSPIRING SPECTACLE AND PHENOMENON OF ITS TIME.
THROUGHOUT THE EARLY YEARS, THE POPULARITY OF THE GROUP AND ITS UNIQUE BRAND OF PERFORMANCE CATAPULTED US INTO MANY NON-TRADITIONAL VENUES AND PARTNERSHIPS, INCLUDING APPEARING NOTABLY IN 1980 WITH THE RICHMOND SYMPHONY AS SPECIAL GUESTS OF THEIR "POPS SERIES" WITH STEVE BASSETT; THE JUNE JUBILEE AND INTERNATIONAL FOLK FESTIVAL; COMPETING AND WINNING STATE AND REGIONAL JOHNNY MANN CHORAL FESTIVALS; PARTICIPATING AS AMBASSADORS FOR THE RICHMOND AREA CHAPTER OF THE MARCH OF DIMES; SERVING AS SUPPORTING MUSICAL CAST MEMBERS IN THE MUSICAL "PURLIE" AS WELL AS IN THE RICHMOND OPERA COMPANY'S PREMIERE OF THE SCOTT JOPLIN OPERA "TREEMONISHA"; RICHMOND'S ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARADE; THE INAUGURATION OF FORMER GOVERNOR CHARLES ROBB; AS WELL AS RICHMOND'S WELCOME TO QUEEN ELIZABETH, TO NAME JUST A FEW.
IN ADDITION, IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE CHOIR'S EXISTENCE, THE ENTOURAGE TOURED EXTENSIVELY ALONG THE U.S. SOUTHEASTERN COAST, AS WELL AS IN NEW YORK, CHICAGO AND PHILADELPHIA. HOWEVER, THE MOST NOTABLE NATIONAL APPEARANCE TOOK PLACE IN 1981 AT THE LOS ANGELES, CA JAMES CLEVELAND GOSPEL MUSIC WORKSHOP WHERE WE RECEIVED RAVE REVIEWS FROM THE LATE REV. CLEVELAND AND THE ENTIRE WORKSHOP FOR OUR NEW AND CREATIVE APPROACH TO GOSPEL MUSIC PRESENTATION.
THE CHOIR WENT ON TO ESTABLISH A SOLID GOSPEL MUSIC PRESENCE IN RICHMOND, APPEARING AT BYRD PARK'S DOGWOOD DELL AS A PART OF THE DEPARTMENT OF RECREATION AND PARKS ANNUAL SUMMER MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL. OUR INAUGURAL APPEARANCE IN THE SUMMER OF 1976 (CIRCA), DRAWING A RECORD CROWD ESTIMATED TO HAVE EXCEEDED 12,000, FULLY RECOGNIZED OUR POPULAR APPEAL AND SET A PRECEDENT FOR FUTURE ACCEPTANCE AND INCLUSION OF RELIGIOUS BASED PROGRAMMING CITYWIDE. IT FURTHER, THROUGH CRITICAL REVIEW, ESTABLISHED THE GROUP AS A LEGITIMATE ARTS ORGANIZATION. THIS SET THE STAGE FOR THE CHOIR'S FULL INCORPORATION AS A TAX EXEMPT ORGANIZATION-A STATUS IT STILL MAINTAINS TODAY.
ONE OF THE MOST REMEMBERED ASPECTS OF THE CHOIR'S HISTORY WAS ITS MONTHLY FOURTH SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP SERVICES AT SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH THAT DREW STANDING ROOM ONLY CONGREGATIONS.
THE CHOIR HAS PROVIDED SPIRITUALLY CHARGED CONCERTS FOR NUMEROUS CHURCHES AND HAS SEVERAL RECORDINGS TO ITS CREDIT.
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