LOCAL GOSPEL MUSIC CHOIR RAISES THE ROOF WITH SONG.Byline: Peggy Hager Staff Writer LANCASTER - A love of singing gospel music brings together 68 people from around the Antelope Valley This article is about the Los Angeles County region. For the census-designated place in Wyoming, see Antelope Valley-Crestview, Wyoming. The Antelope Valley . Formed a year ago, the Antelope Valley chapter of the Gospel Music Workshop of America Gospel Music Workshop of America is an international music convention founded by the late Rev. James Cleveland along with Albertina Walker 1967. Cleveland held the first GMWA convention in Detroit, Michigan in 1968 at King Solomon Baptist Church. is preparing for a performance at the Antelope Valley Fair, a Christmas Eve A Christmas Eve is a short story by Camillo Boito which appeared in his anthology of decadence and perversity titled Tales of Vanity (sometimes translated as Vain Tales), which also featured his more famous work, Senso. television appearance on KCET KCET Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo (Japan) KCET Kamaraj College of Engineering and Technology and a possible trip to Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall Concert hall in New York, N.Y., U.S. It was endowed by the industrialist Andrew Carnegie at the insistence of the conductor Walter Damrosch (1862–1950). in New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of in 2007. ``I know enough singers and musicians in the Antelope Valley, I thought we could pull it off,'' said Richard Cole
Richard Cole (born January 2, 1946) was heavily involved in the rock music business from the mid-1960s to 2003, and is most famous for being the tour manager of English rock band Led Zeppelin from , a computer engineer and musician who manages the chapter with the help of his wife, Gwen. Said Gwen Cole: ``There is a lot of talent up here in the Antelope Valley and there's no opportunity for them to really be seen other than in their local church. ... This is drawing the choirs together in one platform where we can receive the exposure. Because the GMWA GMWA Gospel Music Workshop of America, Inc. is so big, it leaves room for everyone to display their gift, and to support and try to bring us together as a community.'' The choir meets the third Monday of the month at Faith Chapel North, 45212 7th St. E., Lancaster. Choir directors take turns at each meeting directing the songs they know best. The choir is accompanied by 14 musicians. Richard Cole plays saxophone with the group. Membership in the choir is $35 and is open to anyone who can hold a tune or play a musical instrument. The parent organization was founded by James Cleveland James Cleveland (December 5, 1931 - February 9, 1991) was a gospel singer, arranger, composer and, most significantly, the driving force behind the creation of the modern gospel sound, bringing the stylistic daring of hard gospel and jazz and pop music influences to arrangements in 1967 as an outlet for lovers of gospel music. It currently is international with 150 chapters in countries around the world. This year's convention will see 20,000 members as delegates, and the organization has its own record label. ``Most of the gospel recording artists in the business today have been in a workshop at some point in time in their career. It's like a training ground for gospel artists,'' explained Richard Cole. The minister of music for his own church, Richard Cole wanted to gain more experience and information about gospel music - both the history and the art form itself. So he started attending the Los Angeles branch. After two months he was approached by L.A. Chapter representative Rodena Preston, sister of keyboardist-singer Billy Preston, about starting a local branch. After inquiries were made at local churches and musical groups, the Antelope Valley branch was born. Among the benefits he cited for joining the choir are group voice lessons and choir etiquette. ``It gives you an overall view of gospel music like you've never had before,'' said Richard Cole. ``There is a unique pattern of notes associated with gospel, so I've learned those patterns of notes as well as the history of it. It keeps the art form alive.'' CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- color) Members of the Antelope Valley chapter of the Gospel Music Workshop of America rehearse at Faith Chapel North. (2) Working with the choir are, from left, chapter representative Richard Cole; Herman Jones, L.A. chapter minister of music; and Jeffery Gray, A.V. minister of music. Brian Woods/Special to the Daily News |
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