NY Easter Concert Draws Believers to Apollo Theater
Tuesday, Apr. 10, 2007 Posted: 4:44:07PM EST
NEW YORK - A widely expanding worldwide mission group had its debut performance this past Saturday at the world renowned Apollo Theatre in New York, drawing in an eclectic background of Christians to fill the old landmark.
Jubilee Mission, an interdenominational ministry committed to spreading the Gospel through the performing arts, performed a stellar performance this past Saturday at the Apollo Theater in New York. The debut performance consisted of music composed in over 20 countries around the globe. (Photo: Jubilee Mission)
Featuring gospel choirs from five of the cities top universities, Jubilee Mission, an interdenominational ministry committed to spreading the Gospel through the performing arts, introduced their brand of high energy worship to the pre-Easter crowds, expressing the importance of the cross in Christian lives.
“Jubilee Mission has grown a lot over the past year, and we are thankful to God particularly in the songs He has given us to write,” commented Christopher Chou, the North American regional representative of Jubilee Mission, following the performance. “We received many positive responses at the Apollo Theater about the songs and their message.”
For a band that has never had this level of performance, they sure did not act like it. With stunning lighting, inspirational vocals, a full sound, and heart-felt performances, the group came off as seasoned veterans.
Fronted by five lead singers, the sound quality was pleasantly diverse. Each of the vocalists brought their own style to their solo performances, and complimented one another well during their chorus sections. It’s almost as if there had been more than one band performing.
Adding to the power, the five local gospel choirs – coming from New York University, Fordham University, Columbia University, Pace University, and Nyack College – filled the theatre with a forceful back-up. Their voices resonated around the room with amazing passion.
The band’s performance was equally impressive, with a group that looked more like an orchestra. Featuring three pianists, four guitarists, two percussionists, a saxophone/flute player, and two violinists, the stage could barely house all the players.
It was also refreshing to see the cultural diversity of the group, which represented a band centered on Christ, not on cultural ties.
Audience members could audibly be heard with shouts of “Hallelujah” and “Amen” throughout the performance as people were overcome with the passionate performance.
Following the concert, Chou was optimistic about the future. He has set his goal on expanding the ministry even more greatly.
“Our next goal is to spread these songs to churches and mission groups around the world, where they can be used for worship,” he explained to the Christian Post afterwards.
The group will now be heading toward Nashville in the coming week to attend the Gospel Music Association (GMA)’s Gospel Music Week. This annual GMA event is the largest collection of people involved in the Christian music industry, and leads up to the Dove Awards, the most prestigious awards ceremony among Christian artists.
“We will be heading to Nashville for the Gospel Music Week where we will distribute our music, present information of Jubilee Mission projects around the world, and network with the Christian music industry,” said Chou.
The night was also sponsored by Christian relief organization World Vision, which included a stirring video documenting the problems of children throughout Africa. Several of the attendees were even inspired to sponsor a child in the struggling continent.
For the concert, Jubilee Mission collected original pieces of music composed from over 20 countries around the globe. Their organization is based in New York with ministries in all six continents.
