Rosslyn King conducts the African American Community Choir during the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day breakfast at The Commons in downtown Columbus on Monday.
Mike Wolanin | The Republic
Keyboardist and vocalist Danny Green believes that more than sweet harmonies move listeners when he sings the faith-oriented African American Community Choir. He feels that God moves in the midst of sound to move hearts.
“Actually, I think he allows the music to go right into your soul,” Green said.
Perhaps there could have been something of that mystical movement that played out at the 26th Annual Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. Day Breakfast on Monday in The Commons. The group, 10 to 15 people depending on the performance, earned a standing ovation after two upbeat songs: “Every Praise” and “Right On, King Jesus.”
As attendees made their way through a breakfast line, Green and her sister, Terrie Green Roddie, performed a smooth duet version of the classic “We Shall Overcome.”
Some in the estimated 350-person crowd in downtown Columbus clapped to the beat of what Green agreed was a black gospel vibe with the chorus.
“But we can change it on a penny,” he said.
The group can make music by artists and acts like Kirk Franklin, Maverick City Music, Donnie McClurkin, and Hillsong. The local African American Pastors Alliance, which planned the breakfast, encouraged Rosslyn King to form a choir for the event. She and Green, an assistant, along with Roddie, recruited singers from at least six churches in Columbus, North Vernon, Franklin and Greenwood.
They had time for four rehearsals before the popular meeting.
“The sound of the choir and how it reaches (to people) is a blessing from God,” King said. “That has to be in what you do. If you don’t bless it, then there’s no power or anointing there.”
She can see why even a non-believer could be moved by such upbeat and energetic tunes.
“It’s because everyone is a spiritual being, no matter what they say,” King said. “And I believe that we are all created in the image of God. So there’s a connection to it, whether people believe it or not.”
In addition, another element appears, as she sees it.
“People can see how it makes us feel (as singers),” King said. “You have to realize that the music has to move us first in order to move them.”
Ideally, King would like to keep the choir together for other performances, such as at area churches and perhaps for special events. She raves about the talent and work of Green and Roddie, who has been a choir director in the past at Calvary Community Church. In fact, King noted that perhaps one reason for the group’s overall harmony can be attributed to overall longevity.
He mentioned that many of the members sang together over the years at Calvary before moving on and later attending other churches in the area. But she also acknowledged that she herself has little time in general to sing with others.
“But,” he said with a smile, “I sing in the car.”
invite to the choir
The African American Community Choir can sing at your church or event. For more information, contact Rosslyn King at [email protected] or Danny Green in [email protected]
