Gospel Voices of Faith Celebrates 25th Anniversary

Contact: George Mauzy, media specialist, 740-597-1794 or mauzy@ohio.edu

Editors: A photo of the first Gospel Voices of Faith choir is available at: www.ohiou.edu/news/pix/GVF.JPG

ATHENS, Ohio (November 9, 2000) -- The Ohio University Gospel Voices of Faith choir celebrates its 25th anniversary this weekend, and more than 100 former choir members are expected to attend the three-day reunion.

The highlight of the weekend is the Gospel Voices of Faith 25th Anniversary Reunion Concert at 7 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 11, at First United Methodist Church in Athens. The performance is free and open to the public.

The reunion begins Friday at Mt. Zion Baptist Church with a brief service, choir rehearsal and a slide presentation featuring old photos of group members.

Besides the concert, Saturday's activities include a continental breakfast, a parents appreciation luncheon and a gospel workshop featuring Mellonee Burnim, an Indiana University ethnomusicologist.

The reunion ends Sunday at Mt. Zion Baptist Church with inspirational messages by several of the choir's alumni.

"I started in the Gospel Voices of Faith in 1986, and it has always been a close-knit family," said former choir member Otis Crockron. "The reunion will be special because there will be many different music styles and talents that will come together in one room. It also will be great to reunite with people I haven't seen in more than 10 years."

Gospel Voices of Faith was founded in 1974 by six Ohio University students who wanted to worship God in song. The choir's first performance was in 1975, the same year it became an official university student organization.

Mt. Zion, the choir's home church, is celebrating its 128th anniversary this year and will honor its oldest attending member, Frances Raymond, during the reunion.

Francine Childs, pastor of Mt. Zion and an Ohio University professor of African-American Studies, has served as the choir's adviser since it was founded and helped coordinate this weekend's reunion.

"I'm so excited about this reunion," Childs said. "Many of the former choir members have been telling me they can't wait to get back to Athens. Many of them haven't been back since they graduated and will be surprised to see how much the campus has changed."

For more information on the reunion, call Francine Childs at (740) 593-7093 or Venetia Lambert at (740) 593-6783.