One of the most popular recording and touring choirs will be coming to one of the city’s most popular gospel music celebrations.
It has been confirmed that The Chicago Mass Choir will be part of the 25th Annual Gospel Fest hosted by Butler University.
The event, which will also include fellow national recording artists Kirk Franklin and Yolanda Adams, as well as Butler’s Voices of Deliverance Choir, will take place Feb. 1 at 7 p.m. at Clowes Memorial Hall, located on the Butler campus at 4600 Sunset Ave. Tickets are $39 for adults, $29 for seniors and $25 for students.
“We are so excited and honored to be a part of the Gospel Fest, especially for this 25th anniversary event,” said Feranda Williamson, president and CEO of The Chicago Mass Choir.
Best known for the exciting and engaging vibe on its albums, and being able to carry that into live appearances, The Chicago Mass Choir was formed by James Chambers in 1988.
Previously, Chambers had directed radio and youth choirs at Baptist churches in Chicago, then formed the interdenominational Ecclesiastes Community Choir in 1971.
In the summer of 1988, Chambers participated in the ECC Music Workshop at Kennedy King College, which was designed to enhance performance quality and unite Chicago’s choirs, community organizations, musicians, songwriters and soloists. With this vision of unity, Chambers formed The Chicago Mass Choir.
“A lot of people don’t realize that for our first three projects, they were actually recorded with us as a workshop choir at the end of a weeklong workshop in the summer in Chicago,” said Williamson, who is also dean of the School of Undergraduate Studies at Capella University.
Immediately, The Chicago Mass Choir became one of the most celebrated choirs in the Midwest, and released its debut album, “Right Now” in 1991. It was nominated in five categories for the Gospel Music Excellence awards and named Best New Artist.
During the following year, The Chicago Mass Choir’s single “I Can Go to the Rock” won the Song of the Year honor.
“Our style is very upbeat and encouraging,” Williamson said. “We will take you to church, and even if you cannot sing, you will be motivated to clap, tap your foot and stand up and give God praise.”
Chambers passed away following a long illness in 1994, and leadership of The Chicago Mass Choir was assumed by Williamson, who was a longtime friend and a founding member of the Ecclesiastes Community Choir.
“We have strived to maintain the dynamic of excellence in our music and how we provide opportunities for individuals who may not have a platform to share their ministry of singing, being a musician or director or even sharing their administrative skills,” Williamson said.
Under her leadership, the ensemble has released well-received projects such as “Hold On, Don’t Give Up” (1996), 1997’s “You Love Me,” which both reached the Top Ten of the gospel charts, as well as 2001’s “Calling On You” and 2003’s “Live in Nashville.”
Over time, The Chicago Mass Choir, which still has a few founding members and some that have served for more than 20 years, has included prominent musicians and well-known producers such as Percy and Jeral Gray.
“We’re looking forward to coming back to Indianapolis,” Williamson said. “We appreciate Butler University’s Office of Diversity for having the sensitivity to actually make diversity a priority. We want to thank the university’s president and staff for being insightful and bringing this level of gospel music to the institution.”
For more information about the annual Gospel Fest, visit cloweshall.org or call the box office at (317) 940-6444. For more information about the Chicago Mass Choir visit Chicagomasschoir.com, and for booking call (773) 925-6755.
