Cool American Gospel Churches!

UU

Hello all!

I was watching the Blues Brothers the other day and they had that whole funky Gospel scene in it - you know with all the coloured gospel singers. I would actually love to go to one of them cool Gospel churches for a visit some day with all the singing and clapping. Does anyone know of any in Dublin? "Hallelujah" if you do!

samb

There are some around. I remember Des Bishop was at one on TV.

They are certainly not my idea of ''COOL'' but then again it isn't the most harmful manifestation of religious belief.

Rockee

Yeah, theres a great one in Dublin called the Gardiner Street Gospel Choir. I seen them perform at a choral festival a few years ago and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up, was great stuff! Check them out if you can, they perform every week in the church on Gardiner Street.

Excelsior

Any Pentecostal church will offer an amazing array of worship music styles. St. Marks on Pearse St is the most well known in Dublin.

John Doe

I was at a good one in Virginia. That's probably not much help

UU

Thanks all! They certainly know how to make worship fun, eh? I like them for their interesting songs and coolness when ever I see them on television but seeing them live would be far more fantastic!

hairyheretic

I saw a poster in passing yesterday for a gospel choir (african I think) appearing in Bray fairly shortly. If I have time over lunch I'll see if I can get the actual details for you.

Edit .. updated with info:

Feb 24th at 8pm
Church of the Most Holy Redeemer, Bray
Tickets 12 euros
Contact number: 01 286 0960

GospelGroupie

Yeah, there's a few in Dublin alright, and all around the country at this stage. The first was Mary of The Angels Gospel Choir based out of Church St., Dublin 1 near the Bridewell. They later became Dublin Gospel Choir. I think they sing one Mass a month at Our Lady of the Angels Church on Church St and sing other gigs (called Nights of Soul) in other parishes. They have done gigs at venues around Dublin from the RDS (supporting Celine Dion), Craw Daddy and The Sugar Club, for example. Their site is www.dublingospelchoir.com. They've been around a while and do sing a fairly "Blues Brothers" or "Sister Act" style, but it seems a little out-dated at this stage.

For a more contemporary style of Gospel, try the Gospel Mass every Sunday evening at 7:30pm at St. Francis Xaviers Church, Gardiner St., Dublin. No robes, just wonderfully arranged music. There's about forty singers and eight in the band. They have a good range of soloists. Their Mass regularily attracts over 1000 people from around the city and country. They've done gigs in The Ambassador and The Olympia too, as well as staging the "Shackles off Your Feet" gig with Dublin Gospel Choir in Vicar Street in 2004, singing for the No To War protest on 15th February 2003 on Dame St with Luka Bloom in front of 120,000 people. Their site is at www.gardinerstreetgospel.com

There are more and more parishes following suit. Ballymun Gospel Choir are from the Gardiner St. stable and sing on Sunday evenings at 6pm. There are gospel choirs in Knocklyon, Cabinteely and Lucan.

There are also two small professional Gospel Choirs that I'm aware of in Dublin, playing gigs and weddings, etc. They are Dublin Gospel Project, again from the Gardiner St. stable, and Soul Glow Gospel Choir. http://www.soulglowgospel.com/

Across the country there has been an explosion of Gospel Choirs in the past six years. Kilkenny have one, http://www.kilkennygospel.com , as do Galway, www.galwaygospelchoir.ie, Thurles Gospel Singers, Clonmel Gospel Choir, Limerick Gospel Choir, Waterford Gospel Choir and finally, as I know, the Abbey Gospel Choir in Ennis.

For further reading on the ressurgence of Gospel Music in Ireland, read the article on the following link, http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_view.asp?menu=c10400&no=253453&rel_no=1

Regards,

Brian

John Doe

Actually I almost forgot I was playing with my brass and reed band at a special mass in the Augustinian's church in Limerick, and there was a small but powerful gospel group at it, it was great fun!

Rockee

I think Tommy Tiernan hit the nail on the head...if we had celebratory gospel music in the church when we were all growing up in Ireland we'ed be more happy to go!

McGoony

GospelGroupie wrote:

Yeah, there's a few in Dublin alright, and all around the country at this stage. The first was Mary of The Angels Gospel Choir based out of Church St., Dublin 1 near the Bridewell. They later became Dublin Gospel Choir. I think they sing one Mass a month at Our Lady of the Angels Church on Church St and sing other gigs (called Nights of Soul) in other parishes. They have done gigs at venues around Dublin from the RDS (supporting Celine Dion), Craw Daddy and The Sugar Club, for example. Their site is www.dublingospelchoir.com. They've been around a while and do sing a fairly "Blues Brothers" or "Sister Act" style, but it seems a little out-dated at this stage.

Just to clarify the Dublin Gospel Choir sing at 7pm mass in Our Lady of the Angels Church on Church Street on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month. We have been singing gospel music in Ireland for 10 years and we perform a wide range of comtemporary gospel music from artists such as Kirk Franklin, Kurt Carr and Fred Hammond among others.

We are singing in the Civic Theatre in Tallaght on Wednesday May 10th for anyone who would like to check it out!

Boocas

anyone know a place in Limerick to check this kinda thing out.

Seaneh

samb wrote: »

There are some around. I remember Des Bishop was at one on TV.

That would be Grace Fellowship in Dundalk, head pastor is Hassan Boyle, really nice guy. They have a really good worship team and a lot of youth so it's always a fun place to visit.