I was thinking about my Mom
The Kingdom Choir gave an unforgettable concert at the McAninch Arts Center in Glen Ellyn on Sunday, October 6.
This concert was a big thing for me. I have been dreaming about it since May 19, 2018, when The Kingdom Choir performed “Stand by me!” by Ben E. King at the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and American-born actress Meghan Markle, now Duchess of Sussex. Of course, when I found out that this great vocal ensemble was coming to Glen Ellyn, I decided that I definitely had to write about it and attend the concert.
The big day came. The members of The Kingdom Choir looked amazing in their beautiful outfits. The magnificent sounds of their voices captured the audience’s attention and kept it until the end of the concert. The group started its performance with The Lord’s Prayer. The touching words of it flew from the hearts of the singers straight to the hearts of the audience members.
The choice of this song was not just random. The Kingdom Choir consists of individual singers and performers from various Christian traditions in the South East region of England and carries a very important Christian mission. It spreads hope, love to God and respect to each other through the magnificent sounds of gospel music. These singers are committed to creating music that celebrates the Christian faith they share. The Kingdom Choir is a great example of the unity within the British gospel community.
Karen Gibson, founder and director of this choir, came to the stage. She was conducting, singing along, supporting the singers emotionally, and communicating with the audience. The whole event didn’t feel like a concert anymore; it felt like we, the audience members, came to meet our old kind friends who came from far away to share with us their love to God and gospel music. They came to share their story, feelings and passion. Karen, who is a famous gospel tutor and choir instructor, asked the audience to participate in the performance by clapping, singing along and dancing. The audience was happy to do that!
The singers sounded great! Each of them demonstrated individuality, excellent vocal technique and uniqueness of style and presentation, but together they were a group where each member complemented the rest of the ensemble. Many of the vocalists were singing solos in various songs, which gave them a chance to demonstrate their skills and their own unique manner of singing.
The concert flew by fast. The culmination of it, of course, was the song “Stand by Me” by Ben E. King. It gave me goosebumps! The background of the stage was lit like a night sky full of stars, and the hearts of the audience members flew into that sky along with the voices of the singers.
Karen Gibson and Natalia Dagenhart
After the concert, I was blessed to talk to Karen Gibson. She impressed me with her warm attitude, wisdom and charisma. I also had a chance to have a small conversation with Paul Lee, the singer who sang solo in “Stand by Me” during the Royal Wedding. I couldn’t believe my luck! It was that man, whose voice touched the world on May 19, 2018 at the Royal Wedding! He asked me how I liked the concert, but I just had to ask him a few questions too.
Paul Lee and Natalia Dagenhart
“Tell me, please,” I said, “Were you scared to sing at the Royal Wedding in front of the Royal Family and in front of the whole world?” “Yes,” he said. “I knew that if I made a mistake it would be recorded and remembered forever and I wouldn’t be able to fix it.” “So, how did you handle that? How did you overcome your fear?” I asked. “You know, half a year before that wedding my Mom passed away,” said Paul. “When I was singing, I was thinking about my Mom.”
Natalia Dagenhart
Photos: Courtesy of Natalia Dagenhart