An overwhelmed Pastor Michael J. Fisher fell to his knees in praise and amazement when the tour’s master of ceremonies, Donald Lawrence, announced that panel judges Marvin Sapp, Karen Clark-Sheard and Fred Hammond voted Los Angeles’ Voices of Destiny the 2010 Best Gospel Choir in America. Fisher, who’s also the choir’s director, explained that he and his congregation had prayed for a favorable outcome.
“We hope to build a youth center where we are in Compton [Calif.]. And now with the prize money, we can make that happen. … A lot of the people that come to our church are ex-gang members and they come there and lay their blue or red scarves down. … We really need a youth center to offer young people in the community alternatives,” said an emotional Fisher.
Along with receiving $25,000 in grand prize winnings, the selected choir will appear at the 2010 Stellar Awards and be featured at the Super Bowl Gospel Celebration in 2011.
Chicago’s Greater First Church Chorale won second place in the competition and D.C.’s Greater Mt. Calvary Men of Valor – the only all-male choir – earned the People’s V Cast Choice Award.
While the performances of all of the competing choirs were nothing short of awe-inspiring, other standout performances included a theatrical presentation from Detroit’s Burning Bush Ministries and a rousing rendition of “God Blocked It” from Houston’s Pentecostals of Royalwood, and judge and recording artist Marvin Sapp offered a heart wrenching rendition of his hit single “Never Would Have Made It,” which is the first gospel single to sell a million digital downloads and the longest running No. 1 single of any musical genre. –roz edward
