However, it became a TikTok and viral hit after the Sunday Service Choir recorded it and made it popular with a new generation of fans in 2022. Over the years, the song has become a staple in church worship services. Songwriter Jeffrey LaValley will not only share his musical knowledge with attendees, but he will also tell the story behind his song “Revelations 19:1.” It was originally recorded by the New Jerusalem Baptist Church Choir in 1985. There will also be guest appearances by music veterans such as Anthony Brown (of Anthony Brown & group therAPy), William Murphy, Ted Winn, Vincent Bohanan, Rodney Posey, and Derrick Starks. On Friday night, Volney Morgan of the MOBO Award winning gospel group Volney Morgan & New-Ye, will host a showcase of dynamic choirs from throughout the European continent and the United Kingdom. Audio Sound Designer Armando Fullwood will join 7x GRAMMY® Award winning engineer Danny Duncan (who’s worked with everyone from Bruce Springsteen to Israel Houghton) to introduce VenueFlex/ChoirFlex, a new technology that enhances audio clarity for an immersive acoustic listening experience. Each day there will be educational courses on topics such as vocal blending incorporating spoken word, dance, and theater into a choir’s stage presentation and how to dress a choir and create its fashion imprint. Lawrence’s plan is to expand upon the rich legacy of the Music & Arts Seminar. So, we’ve got choirs coming from Sweden, Latvia, Denmark, and so many other places.” Bazil Meade MBE (the pioneering founder of the 40+ year old London Community Gospel Choir that’s given royal command performances and performed with a who’s who in music) and Ayce Oyerinde, are handling on the ground promotions for Music + Arts Global through their London-based firm, GloFest International. Instead of me going to all of them, I said why don’t we all meet in London for this first year and then I’ll come to you the next year. A lot of the leaders in different cities asked for me to come and teach their choirs. I conducted a 500-voice choir at Duomo Cathedral in Florence, Italy with 30,000 people in attendance. I’ve visited many countries and worked with their choirs. “A lot of people in the Baltic states can really sing well. “Choir music is everywhere, and music is a universal language,” Lawrence says. …I’d like to eventually take the convention out of the states…just to keep it fresh.” While that hope didn’t materialize during Hawkins’ lifetime, it’s happening April 27-29, 2023, when Lawrence will present the newly renamed conference Music + Arts Global at the Gaumont State Theatre (197-99 High Road NW6 7HY) in the Kilburn district of London, England. “I don’t want it to be just another social affair. Oh Happy Day, My Lord Is Coming Back, Ain’t It Like Him, Jesus Lover Of My Soul, He’s My All And All, Blowin’ In The Wind, Let Us Go Into The House, Listen To The Rain, Early In The Morning, He’s A Friend Of Mine, Blowin’ In The Wind, To My Father’s House, Just A Closer Walk With Thee, He’s Got The Whole World In His Handsĭisc 2 - Concert In Amsterdam contd.“I want to see young people really benefit from the art…,” Hawkins said of the Music & Arts Seminar in a 1987 interview with Totally Gospel Magazine. The single "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)" taken from the album was a Top 10 hit for folk singer Melanie on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in 1970.ĭisc 1 - It’s A Happy Day/ Concert In Amsterdam His arrangement of the song was eventually covered by The Four Seasons on their 1970 album Half & Half.įollowing the success of "Oh Happy Day" the group signed a major record deal with the newly created Pavilion label (distributed by Buddah), and released a second LP, He's A Friend Of Mine, in 1969. The song became an international success, selling more than 7 million copies worldwide, and Hawkins was awarded his first Grammy for it. It crossed over to the pop charts, making No. He was one of the originators of the urban contemporary gospel sound.Īs leader of the Edwin Hawkins Singers he was probably best known for his arrangement of "Oh Happy Day" which achieved sales of more than a million copies within two months in 1969. Edwin Hawkins was an American gospel musician, pianist, choir master, composer, and arranger.
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