Colgate University’s Sojourner’s Gospel Choir combines faith and song to inspire the Colgate community at Sunday services in the Colgate Memorial Chapel.
Senior and choir member Caroline Gaskin learned the Cory Asbury song ‘Reckless Love’ on a whim and is now the Vice President of the choir. She was encouraged by the then-church music leaders Dianne McDowell and Deion Patterson to join the choir and pursue her passion for song.
“Every week choir members practice a selection of contemporary worship songs to present to the community during the Sunday Chapel Service,” Gaskin said.
The choir practices before and after their performances on Sundays, both learning new music and using familiar tunes. The purpose of the choir is to create a welcoming community through music and faith, although members do not need to be a part of a specific religious affiliation.
“Members do not need to be religiously affiliated to join in on the fun,” Gaskin said.
While some members grew up singing in choirs, the group includes people of all abilities and levels of practice.
“We welcome all,” sophomore and choir member Zja’Kyla Brumfield said.
Gaskin agreed with this sentiment of inclusivity.
“Our group invites everyone interested in engaging with the art and choir and Christian community,” Gaskin said. “The choir joins together all individuals of varying singing abilities to come together to share how their passion of song in addition to their faith are a beautiful part of their identity.”
The group is extremely welcoming, and simply aims to share their music and their faith with the Colgate community while spreading joy through song. The choir is part of a long artistic tradition rich with historical significance.
“Gospel music has a multiplicity of culture and history interwoven within the art, and our group invites everyone interested in engaging with the art and choir and Christian community,” Gaskin said.
“You can come and sing if you want to sing; it’s what you want it to be,” sophomore choir member Alysha Mendez added.
The choir is engaged in multiple communities at Colgate, contributing to the vibrant spectra of artists on campus as well as the religious community.
“[The choir] is part of the larger University church community, meeting and singing in worship at every service where we encourage members of the University church community to sing with us in worship every Sunday,” Mendez said.
“Students [are able to find] the intersection of the creative medium of song and one’s spirituality [or] faith,” Gaskin said
This collaborative experience is exactly why Mendez joined the choir.
“I had sung my heart out while in the pews and now [I am] able to stand and sing along with the amazing members of the choir on stage. It is a wholesome full circle experience for me that I’m thankful for,” Mendez said.
The well-respected group on campus got to collaborate with some other choirs and individuals at GospelFest earlier this year to put on a fantastic show.
“Singing at GospelFest with the choir […] was a soul-shaking and heart-warming experience,” Gaskin said. “Being able to sing with such talented vocalists was truly indescribable.”
