By Cassandra Spratling
DETROIT — As soon as Sunday service begins, the congregation is
on its feet, clapping and swaying to the soul-stirring songs that
usher them into a joy-filled worship experience.
No matter how you felt coming to church, it’s difficult not to
feel good once the choir takes command.
Welcome to church — Detroit style.
Detroit is the mecca of gospel music, said recording artist and
choir director Kurt Carr. “There’s talent everywhere. And not just
great musicians and singers. Legacies come from Detroit,” said Carr
of Los Angeles, who recently served as guest director at Triumph
Church, which has multiple locations in metro Detroit.
A Detroit gospel choir — Selected of God, directed by Larry
Callahan — captivated the nation earlier this year with its
appearance in a Chrysler 200 Super Bowl commercial. Paired with the
swagger of rapper Eminem, the choir buoyed Detroit’s image and
offered a taste of the spirit that locals have enjoyed for
years.
“Detroit produces gospel music that the whole world sings,” said
Deborah Smith Pollard, a gospel music scholar and author. “We all
know the big names, like the Winans, the Clarks, the Mosses. But
there are so many, many others. There are generations of great
choirs in Detroit, so many that you can step into almost any
church, and the sound just makes you go: Wow!”
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