When a special event takes place, like the recent Broadway Inspiration Voices Holiday Concert, one is grateful the pandemic is over and audiences can come together again. Last Monday night, December 8, the BIV voices joined in music and song to present an evening of gospel and seasonal music that had people dancing in the aisles and raising up their hands in prayer. The message to us this night was that despite the storms that come our way, they do pass; that despite our feeling helpless, we have the strength to endure; and when we feel alone, there are others ready to stand beside us.
Allen René Louis, Broadway Inspirational Voices
Led by conductor and the group’s artistic director, Allen Renee Louis, the choir was indeed inspiring, and talented – after all, many are veterans not only of these concert productions from the past thirty years, but of the Broadway stage. Not many in the audience stayed quiet in their seats over the course of the almost two-hour show. What is it about a gospel song that brings people to their feet?
The evening began with the traditional and gentle Hark! The Herald Angels Sing and moved into powerful numbers with solos from a variety of choir members. One member took the stage to describe her first years with the show, and about the time she sang at a BIV performance while pregnant with her daughter. Then, to the delight of the audience, the daughter was introduced as a member of the choir, and who had just performed a rousing duet with another member. A sign that the torch is being passed.
Dr. Patrice E. Turner; BIV founder, Michael McElroy; BIV
Regarding BIV’s mission to inspire the next generation of singers, the organization has partnered with the LaGuardia High School Gospel Choir. Students from the school were invited to join the BIV choir on stage to assist on one of the selections.
The evening concluded with Go Tell It on the Mountain, and by that time, there was no containing the crowd. It was a jubilant night and an event to look out for next year.
Their Spring Fundraiser Concert date has been scheduled for Monday, April 13, 2026, which celebrates the music, mission, and transformative work of the organization. The presentation of the BIV Inspiration Award also takes place which honors an individual or organization whose impact is shifting the landscape of not only the arts, but society at large. Past recipients have included Multi-Tony Award® winner Audra McDonald, Emmy & Tony Award winning Marc Shaiman, and Disney Theatrical Productions.
For more information about BIV, visit Broadway Inspirational Voices.
Top: LaGuardia High School Gospel Choir
Photo Credit: Sub/Urban Photography
