reviewed by Andrea Encinas
One of UK best gospel vocalists turned pastor or is it comedian? That’s Dave Daniel. With vocalisations that run off his tongue like velvet water, and jokes that...well... seriously he is funny even when he is chanting football songs, he embodies all that is gospel.
Having organised the workshop, I sat for the first time as a student under Pastor Dave, who was assisted by Tula Lynch his cousin (the singing gene is strong in this family) and accompanied by magic fingers Nathaniel Ledwidge on keyboards.
The first song ‘Let the Praises Go First’ shocked everyone out of their comfort zone. No, this was not going to be an easy sing-a-long to gospel workshop. With tenors reaching the skies and sopranos the heavens we called God down from wherever he was busying himself to hear us. From song to song, the mood varied, the dynamics changed, but Dave reminded us about the message of the music, the passion, the situation that brought the words to life ‘forget the former things, they are in the past, God’s doing a new thing now’ and the feelings it should invoke again in performance.
Sitting next to me after lunch were two powerful sopranos – they were 11 and 8, our youngest members for the day, making a very good loud sound, and obviously versatile too as during the morning session they sat in the alto section.
One of my highlights was to hear Alice Pilkington take lead on ‘Speak to Me’’. A former workshop choir participant, I had forgotten the great potential of her voice teasing with a vocal agility that could go places.
The end of the workshop came too soon, the last stragglers finally leaving half-an-hour later, reluctant to move away from the spirit of camaraderie that filled the beautiful St Stephen’s Canonbury.
I am looking forward to the next one on another great vocalist and songwriter. Yes, we’ve got them all here in the UK. British Gospel music at its best!
Courses in performance, music technology & instruments, 