Kingsley Hall dba/
Elma Theater
building
Home of
The Elma Children’s Theater Assn.
IRS Non Profit 91-1678178 Wash State UBI 601-356-680
113
N 4th Street
P.
O. Box 1454
Elma,
Washington 98541
voice or fax (call first) 1 (360) 482-4355
Box Office 1 (360) 482-4810
EDP ISP Server DATA LINE ONLY 1 (360) 482-5222
PRESS RELEASE
The Elma Theater
presents
The Total Experience Gospel Choir
Directed by Pat Wright
Hailed as one of the Northwest's finest soulful and youthful ensembles, the TOTAL EXPERIENCE GOSPEL CHOIR is comprised of young people, ranging in ages from 10-21, with a sprinkling of adults.
Beginning as a class in gospel music in a Seattle high school in 1973, the choir has taken on the coloration of the community, socially, economically, and religiously.
The choir has engaged in many educational ventures/tours as well as spiritual pilgrimages for the past 19 summers. They have visited many of the historical landmarks of this country and have sung in some of the largest churches and scholastic institutions in the United States, including the Mormon Tabernacle in 1989.
The choir has performed in penal institutions, elementary and high schools, restaurants, hotels, private homes, businesses, on the street, as well as on radio and television. They were the featured group to entertain the World Baptist Youth Conference in 1974 as well as Expo '74 in Spokane, Washington, and Expo '86 on three occasions in Vancouver, B>C> On July 4, 1976, this choir was one of the groups chosen to officially represent Seattle for the Bicentennial Celebration, where they were seen for one minute, not only in the United States, but on national television via satellite. On July 4, 1985 he choir was again on national television as they sang for the Swearing in and Welcoming Ceremonies for 500 new citizens. Since then, the choir performs annually for this affair in Seattle.
Under Pat Wright's leadership, the choir has toured in Russia, Canada, Mexico, the Bahamas, Nicaragua, El Salvador and more than 40 states in the United States including Hawaii.
The TOTAL EXPERIENCE GOSPEL CHOIR has had the distinct honor of being backup vocals for many great gospel singers from all over America. The list includes the O'Neal Twins of St. Louis, MO., Rev. Cleophus Robinson of St. Louis, MO., Reverend Dr, James Cleveland of Los Angeles, CA., Reverend Vernard Johnson of Ft. Worth, TX., Reverend Sam Robinson of Las Vegas, Nevada, Brother Ollie Collins of Los Angeles, CA., the famed Hawkins Family Singers (Edwin and Walter) of Berkeley, CA>, Take 6, and the ever popular Winans.
In addition , the choir has been on the same billing with such great secular singers as Charlie Daniel; Quincy Jones; Ray Charles; Sweet Honey in the Rock; King Sunny Ade; Pete Seeger; Danny Dearsdorff and Roz Ryan of NBC's TV hit show "Amen".
The choir's director, Pat Wright, has been the recipient of numerous awards from 1974 through the present. Some of them are the Mahalia Jackson Unsung Community Hero in 1974; the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.Award for Community Service in 1975 from the Benefit Guild-a local service oriented organization; Citizens For Education Center Northwest Youth Learning Award in 1988 and the "She Knows Where She's Going Award" from the Puget Sound Boys and Girls Club; the Seattle Post Intelligencer Newspaper's Jefferson Award for outstanding community service and the Women in Communication, Inc. Matrix Table/89-1989 Women of Achievement Award; The 1991 Gordon Tracie Award for Excellence in Ethnic Music as well as the Govenor's Ethnic Music Award in 1991; Alpha Kappa Alpha/Kappa Psi's Outstanding Community Service Award in 1991; the 1993 Edwin T. Pratt Award from the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle for contributions in furthering equal opportunity for Blacks and other people of color and the poor, as well as numerous other citations.
Last Revision Friday, September 15, 2006 10:11:05 AM
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Last revised Friday, September 15, 2006 10:11:05 AM