#CelebratingStudents: The Portsmouth Gospel Choir

Today we celebrate Portsmouth Gospel Choir, a dynamic and energetic student-led singing group from the University of Portsmouth. Over the past couple of years Portsmouth Gospel choir have been in the spotlight.

They originally found national fame when they reach the finals of the BBC’s Pitch Battle in 2017, as they amazed viewers with their vocals and with the energy that they brought to the show. Portsmouth Gospel Choir or ‘PGC’ as they refer to themselves, aim on creating an atmosphere where people can actively express themselves through music whilst praising God.

Although they did not qualify for the final of the show, the choir made such a positive impact that they were invited to perform for the Queen at the Royal Commonwealth Service in Westminster Abbey in March 2018. They performed the classic ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’.

“It’s all God. We’ve done absolutely nothing to deserve this, we’re just a university gospel choir. We sing, we have fun, put videos online, it’s amazing to be given an opportunity like this.”

The choir’s accomplishments don’t just end there. In 2017 the choir joined with charity Mustard Seed Songs to produce their first CD entitled "How Great Are His Signs. All proceeds from the sale helped to fund the construction of the "Risen Christ Central Chapel" in Cross River State, Nigeria.

We spoke to Band Coordinator, Omolade Taiwo, aged 22, and asked her about how she felt about PGC’s achievements.

She said, “We are really honoured. It’s amazing and surreal, definitely. It’s all God. We’ve done absolutely nothing to deserve this, we’re just a university gospel choir. We sing, we have fun, put videos online, it’s amazing to be given an opportunity like this.”

It is great to see a group doing so well for themselves and achieving so much. We can’t wait to see what else Portsmouth Gospel Choir has in store for us!

Follow Portsmouth Gospel Choir on social media by clicking the link below!

https://www.instagram.com/portsmouthgospel/

https://twitter.com/PortGospelChoir

- Lynette