In honor of Black History Month, the St. Augustine Gospel Choir gave a tremendous performance at the White House. This impeccable recording marks the fourth time they have been invited to the presidential residence. Previously, they had sung for Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton.
The St. Augustine Gospel Choir has been singing God’s praises for 30 years. In that time they’ve ran the gamut, performing in churches from DC to Rome, Costa Rica to France and everywhere in between. They even had the rare opportunity to sing for Pope St. John Paul II in St. Peter’s Basilica.
A hopeful hymn
For their February 26 appearance, the group sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” The tune is a 20th-century hymn, a prayer for thanksgiving for faithfulness and freedom. This is the second notable performance of the song this year, the first being Alicia Keys playing at the Super Bowl. Keys did a good job, but the St. Augustine choir has her beat through sheer exuberance.
The performance at the White House was full of rich overtones and crisp vibrato. The high notes that the ladies hit are so nice, we just wish the White House had some better acoustics. The recording, featured above, is fun to watch, too, as the group made great use of social distancing in the White House’s many beautiful rooms.
The St. Augustine Gospel Choir write on their website that they seek to provide musical support to enhance the liturgical, sacramental, and worship services of St. Augustine Catholic Church. They offer spiritual and musical witness in support of the St. Augustine community and bear musical witness to communities of faith throughout the world in any setting that God provides.
Learn more about this talented Catholic choir here.
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An incredible piece for Gospel choir: “John the Revelator”
