Fresno State Gospel Choir returns this fall with anticipation

Fresno State’s Gospel Choir is lifting spirits and connecting students as it prepares for its comeback this fall at the Wahlberg recital hall.

The choir was formed under the Africana Studies Program and Music Department in the 1970s to introduce songs from the African American cultural experience.

After a year’s hiatus, the choir is coming back this fall with anticipation from students and community members. 

“I hope to get a powerful voice,” said Kayla Collins, a theater major.  “I hope to get more learning about my culture, about what they were writing about in the songs that I sing and I hope to get joy and laughter, and also to get fun and family together.”

Collins also performed the Black National Anthem at this year’s NAACP Black Excellence Gala.

Gospel music pioneered by many Black musicians incorporates traditional hymns, Black harmonies and elements of genres like jazz and blues that Dr. Asia Smith, the professor of the course, hopes to use. 

“Gospel music played a role in getting us to express not only our culture but getting us to express ourselves as a people, and that’s what makes it a whole lot of fun to teach,” said Smith. 

While some students grew up singing gospel music, the course welcomes anyone who has a passion for singing. 

“When they come into the class, they can expect to get a lot of history. I like to give the stories behind a lot of the songs that we sing. They can expect to work a lot as far as vocal performance, so if they love to sing, this is the place to be,” said Smith.

The course will also expose students to performances around the state while concentrating on the historical meaning and stories of the artists that created each song.

Students still have time to register. The Gospel Choir class begins on Monday, Aug. 21, inside the Wahlberg Recital Hall, in the Music Building at Fresno State.