The UO Gospel Singers took home first place in the first-ever Walt Disney World National Gospel Choir Fest, beating 11 other choirs from around the country.
The group traveled to Orlando, Fla., and competed on Sept. 11, led by choir director and University alumnus Andiel Brown.
“This predominately white choir from Eugene, Oregon goes down to the heart of the South and wins a gospel competition,” Brown said. “It’s incredible to think we are No. 1 in the nation, but it hasn’t really sunk in yet.”
Brown said their victory came from no-nonsense rehearsals.
“I knew what it would take to be successful, and it paid off,” he said.
The choir sang three songs: “The Best is Yet To Come,” “Don’t Cry” and “Work on Me.” EMI record executives judged the competition.
The Gospel Singers’ victory earned them the chance to perform at the Magic Kingdom in front of several thousand people.
“We got to perform at the Disney Night of Joy, which is a gospel/contemporary Christian concert,” Brown said. “That was my favorite part.”
As the only choir from west of the Mississippi, the singers gained some interesting attention on stage.
“If you’re a white person in another choir, you’re the minority, so we come in and we’re just the opposite,” Brown said. “When we got on stage, the crowd was looking at us like, ‘What’s going on? Are they gonna sing? Are they gonna do sketch comedy?’”
Not only did the audience give the choir a standing ovation, but the other competing choirs did as well.
To fund the trip, Brown looked to alternative outlets of support. Choir members created a Facebook group in hopes of raising awareness and soliciting donations.
“There was a lot of support; we started to get checks in the mail every day,” Brown said. “Without that support, I don’t think we would have met our goal.”
What comes next after being dubbed the best? Brown said the singers are looking at more competitions, festivals and showcases.
“Now that we’ve got our foot in the door, I want to create more of a buzz.,” Brown said.
And they are certainly well on their way.
Brown graduated from the University in 2008 with a bachelor of music degree. He sang in several campus choirs and was the Pac-10 Conference’s top punt returner in 2007, as well as the football team’s spiritual leader. Now he is back at the University as the instructor for the advanced UO Gospel Singers, intermediate UO Gospel Choir and all-comers UO Gospel Ensemble. Instead of a traditional end-of-term final, the classes put on a concert to show students, faculty and community members what they do best.
“What was amazing was the response I got from the choir after the competition. A lot of the students were saying it was the most amazing experience of their lives, and I would have to say the same thing,” Brown said. “I couldn’t have asked for anything more.”
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