UAB Gospel Choir

The UAB Gospel Choir is a 130-voice student gospel choir sponsored by the Music Department of the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

The first gospel choir at UAB was formed by Dewayne Davis on January 29, 1978 as the Echoes of Faith. The group peaked at 150 voices and recorded two albums by 1981. 30 members of that group, led by Davis as pastor, launched the More Than Conquerors Faith Church in 1982. His church and others inspired by it became the foundation of a neo-pentecostal movement dubbed "Word churches". The choir lost its association with UAB in 1988.

The current ensemble was founded in 1995 by department head Henry Panion and current director Kevin Turner, starting with a group of 38 voices. The choir has since grown to as many as 200 before non-student participation was curtailed. It now averages about 145 per semester. The choir has attracted capacity audiences to their concerts in the Jemison Concert Hall at UAB's Alys Stephens Center. Each concert features a theme drawn from the history of American music. One concert featured a joint performance with the UAB Jazz Ensemble directed by Ray Reach.

Recordings

• Echoes of Faith ()
• Echoes of Faith (1981)
• UAB Gospel Choir (2008) Gospel 101: Go Dominate CD/DVD, re-released 2010
• UAB Gospel Choir (2002) Lessons for Life. UAB Entertainment!
• UAB Gospel Choir () Live. UAB Entertainment!
• UAB Gospel Choir (2008) Gospel Anthology DVD

References

• Roberts, Carolanne Griffith (February 2008) "Powerful Voices: UAB Gospel Choir." Southern Living: Alabama Living: People & Places.
• Debro, Anita (January 28, 2008) "UAB gospel choir, friends lift voices in praise on video." Birmingham News
• Headley, Ryan (April 28, 2008) "Gospel Choir releases CD: UAB Gospel Choir unveils new CD/DVD at spring concert." Kaleidoscope
• Garrison, Greg (August 30, 2008) "Groundbreaking UAB choir that spawned churches in Birmingham area reunites." Birmingham News

External Links

• UAB Gospel Choir website at music.uab.edu