A joyful noise

On any typical Friday afternoon from 3-6 p.m., anyone passing by Alumnae Lounge will not only notice the massive crowd of singers gathered inside, they will hear music flowing through walls. One will also hear Professor Idella Johnson's rich voice resonating from behind the grand piano in the lounge with a force and clarity that permeates the students' own singing. This enormous group of students constitutes the Tufts Third-Day Gospel Choir, as directed by Professor Johnson.

The Gospel choir occupies a unique niche in the musical community at Tufts. Unlike the a cappella groups, the Gospel choir does not sing music from the contemporary pop canon. Unlike the Chamber Singers and Chorale, the Gospel choir eschews traditional religious music in favor of a different kind: music of the African-American diaspora, like modern Gospel music and Negro spirituals that are meant to inspire and uplift, as well as worship.

The choir itself is one of the largest in the Northeast. It consists of about 125 students, a testament to its inclusiveness. All members of the Tufts community are welcome, regardless of previous musical training or experience. In fact, sheet music isn't even used in the rehearsals, only pieces of paper containing the lyrics. There is no rigorous audition process to get in; almost anyone with the passion to sing is welcome to do so. There is one caveat, however: one must be able to match pitch.

The openly accepting nature of the choir is reflected in the wide diversity of the gospel choir members. This diversity is not only racial and ethnic, it is religious as well. Though the choir does pray before and after every rehearsal, those who are not Christian are unfazed by this and find the choir to be open and accepting. Sophomore Jasmine Wallace, who is Muslim and a member of the gospel choir since last semester, says, "It's been a really fulfilling experience, you get to sing with a bunch of people that love each other, regardless of what race, religion, or nationality they are." And according to Johnson, "TCF is actually a minority here."

Members of the Gospel Choir attribute their growing presence to Johnson. Since she took over the choir two years ago in fall 2001, it has grown in size from 100 to about 125 students. Johnson has instilled passion and discipline into a group that had been formerly student-run and disorganized. In addition, she has given it a broader focus: music of the African-American diaspora. She has introduced Negro spirituals into the Choir's repertoire for the first time, and she teaches the music by rote, the way Gospel music has culturally been passed down, instead of having the singers read notes off a piece of paper. She has also single-handedly organized the choir's spring tour to Baptist churches in Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C. which will take place this weekend.

Johnson says, "Through this class, I try to teach conceptual approaches to Gospel music making and to get them to properly phonate is a different type of singing style. It is not screaming, it is not belting as some people think it is."

Members of the Choir are enthusiastic in their appraisal of Johnson's direction. Senior Scott Doty, who has been in the choir through its growth under three different directors, says, "Idella has been here for two years now, and she's wonderful. She has taken the Choir to the next level."