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That’s what happened when the massed voices of the Lichfield Gospel Choir presented a triumphant sold-out performance at the city’s cathedral on October 24, a performance greatly enhanced by the addition of the superb African-origin singing group Imbube, led by Luyanda Jezile on congas and African drums. It was the choir’s second concert with Imbube, the first being at the prestigious London concert venue the Wigmore Hall, and was under the musical direction of Zambia-raised Themba Mvula and Scottish-born Gabriella Liandu. The partnership of the choir and Imbube is nothing short of glorious. Yes, the Lichfield singers are amateurs, but how well they have been tutored. They performed the entire concert from memory - with no help from musical notation or lyric sheets - and did so across several African languages as well as English. That itself is an amazing achievement, but what makes it all the more remarkable is that it was musically captivating, and performed with extraordinary energy and conviction. There were very few wobbly moments technically, and overall it was a stupendous achievement. The choir opened with the glorious South African national anthem, Nkosi Sikjelel’ Afrika, and were later joined on stage by the Imbube group for Thula Mama, with lovely solo singing by Prudence Jezile. Other highlights included the American song Over And Over And Over; Up Above My Head, with fine soloing by the choir’s Kate Slater; and a dynamic performance by Kwabonakala, with South African-born Lichfield resident Peter Bacon assoloist. Musical directors Mvula and Liandu had a splendid duo on the song Munda Uyo Tara, and choir members James Strong and Michael Brown were outstanding soloists in Something Inside So Strong. This memorable performance concluded with the vibrant call-and-response South African song Shosholoza.
