On February 23rd, 2024, the three choirs at PHS performed in the PAC at 7:30 PM. The event was led by a guest conductor and clinician, Shannon Jacob Dorman who teaches students at Boston College about spiritual gospel music. The Gospel Event began in 2010, when choir teachers Vincent Metallo and Sarah Pelletier wanted to expose their students to more repertoire from black culture.

“This was partially in the curriculum, but we really wanted to allocate one event to highlight this style [of music],” Metallo said.

The students performed familiar folk tunes and spirituals that have been rearranged in a more current style. Essentially, it was the evolution of spiritual music, which was then turned into gospel music. The pieces were written about historical events using symbolism and important references to black history. The songs that the choir sang during the event were: “Ride of King Jesus,” “Glorious,” “I Feel Your Spirit,” and “Wade in the Water.”

“[Gospel music] talks a lot about spirituality and religion…most of the songs are very emotional…” said Theo Balavoine ‘24, a baritone, and choir representative, “...forming [the music] allows us to share important parts of history…culture…and spread positive messages.”

A challenge that some singers faced during the event was the range of notes that had to be sung. The music was relatively in a higher range, which took a lot of vocal strain, making it difficult to learn and execute. In addition to that, the style of singing used for gospel music was different compared to other pieces of music that the choirs typically sing which are traditional choral arrangements.

“Some of the harmonies [were] really challenging, but our Choir Directors [worked] section by section so that we [could] feel confident about our parts,” said Vivian Clayton ‘24, an alto singer, “It [was] super satisfying once we [got] our parts right because the chords [were] really beautiful.”

However, when performed correctly, the music comes together.

“I have never sung gospel before, [but] I hope [to] grow as a singer from the experience” said Konrad Hedges ’26.

During the performance, the majority of the pieces were accompanied by the Princeton Studio Band. Despite a busy schedule, the three choirs have been preparing for this event for around two months. Regardless, the event allowed choir students to explore a different genre of music.

“My favorite aspect about this event [was] being able to perform and learn music that I haven’t really been exposed to before,” said Aishwarya Vedula ‘25, “I also like how we [worked] with a professional in the field of gospel music to help us learn more about the music and its significance.”