RNCM Gospel Choir at RNCM
Johnny James, Managing Editor
Back by popular demand following last season’s sold-out performance, the RNCM Gospel Choir and director Wayne Ellington take to the stage again this spring, with a show guaranteed to inspire.
Up and down the UK, gospel choirs are flourishing, and it’s not hard to see why. This is powerful music. Its uplifting nature resonates with diverse communities and offers a space for people from different backgrounds to come together and express themselves. It also helps that outstanding British groups have had the opportunity to reach a global audience in recent years, one memorable example being The Kingdom Choir at the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Manchester more than holds its own when it comes to gospel music, and this is in no small part down to Wayne Ellington. Ellington was himself part of The Kingdom Choir who performed at the royal wedding. He’s also starred on The Voice, stood on the same stage as Sir Tom Jones, Blur, and even Pope St John Paul II, and – closer to home – founded a vibrant community choir who reached the finals of Songs of Praise Gospel Choir of the Year.
It’s fair to say that Ellington knows a thing or two about gospel music, and he imparts this wisdom to students of the RNCM, where he occupies the role of Creative Multi-Specialist. Part of this role sees him lead – and sing with – the fantastic RNCM Gospel Choir, a fairly new ensemble that nevertheless massively impresses. Delivering powerful harmonies, vibrant rhythms, and the unmistakable spirit of gospel, the choir features musicians from across both Popular Music and Classical courses. It thus does exactly what a gospel choir should do – bring people together.
It certainly brought people together last year; the choir’s debut solo show was a swift sell-out. This one is expected to follow suit, so don’t hang about on tickets.
