Songs of praise and glory

By the end of the night, not a single patron at Ultimate Gospel was in their seat.

The young, the old and the disabled raised their hands for reverence and worship last Saturday at the Garfield Sobers Complex for the highlight event on the Barbados Gospelfest 2019 calendar.

Headlining performer of the night, Alvin Slaughter did not disappoint the hundreds gathered as his powerful voice resonated throughout the venue.

The American gospel artiste gave a dynamic and inspiring hour and twenty-minute performance. He not only sang to the audience but shared his personal testimony about struggling with his faith in the face of adversity.

Returning to Barbados after 27 years, Slaughter’s voice was as youthful as his first performance at the first Gospelfest in 1992. Slaughter had the audience riled up from his opening song, Holy Holy Holy (Praise Him and Lift Him Up). Backed by the Gospelfest Mass Choir, Slaughter brought down the house with Our Help is in the Name of the Lord, Holy Spirit Rain Down, I Will Run to You, You Are God and Hallelujah.

The choir led a tribute to renowned Barbadian gospel artiste, the late Joseph Niles, rousing the audience out their seats with the energetic Kings Highway, This Train, I Know Where I am Going and Why Me Lord. They were later joined by the awe-inspiring teenage gospel sensation, Trinity Clarke, whose performance of I Love The Lord, He Heard My Cry received thundering applause.

Award-winning artiste Neesa Woodz was also a crowd favourite. Although her set was short, her performance of her singles So Amazing and You Do Mighty Things was impactful. The same could be said for Pastor John Yarde whose single of Friends and Family was well received by the young and old.

Meanwhile, the vibrant Allison Norville received a 30-second standing ovation from the audience after her hair raising performance of How Great Thou Art. The award-winning gospel artiste and director did a stellar cover of I Am and What Shall I Render to Jehovah to the delight of those gathered.

There were also performances from pannist Mark Forde, the Bel Canto Quartet and the Pentecostal Assemblies of the West Indies International (PAWI) Tobago Chorale.