On Monday night, Crowell Concert Hall felt more like a Southern Revivalist Church than a performance hall in a Northeastern college as Pastor Marichal Bryan Monts led the Ebony Singers through a dynamic and moving Gospel performance.
The Ebony Singers’ infectious energy emanated from Monts’s first piece, “Celebrate,” in which the choir clapped their hands and belted out the melody.
Inspirational words accompanied the spiritual content of the songs lead by Monts’s throughout the concert. Monts, who graduated from Wesleyan in 1985, is a pastor at the Citadel of Love in Hartford, Conn. During the concert, he spoke about love, overcoming hardship, and hope for a better world.
“You may have a greater place you want to go in your life,” he said to the audience, “but sometimes you end up somewhere that seems diametrically opposed to where you’re going. So just live through the valleys of life and enjoy the challenges of the mountains. You have to learn how to keep living, because God’s promise may be delayed, but it’s never denied.”
Some of the most powerful musical moments in the concert were those without accompaniment. Free of the occasionally overpowering instrumentalists, the four-part harmonies of the singers reverberated distinctly through the hall. Near the end of the concert, the choir performed a song in which each section—the sopranos, altos, tenors, and basses—sang “Take back what the devil stole from me…” one at a time, each part vying for attention.
Monts’s rich deep voice compelled several audience members to stand up and rock back and forth, their hands above their heads. The solos performed by several of the singers showcased more talented individuals in the choir.
“The solos were a highlight of the show. Amber Jones ’09 [soloist] was especially strong and wonderful,” said Priya Ghosh ’09. “Her singing brought the audience to their feet.”
This was not the only time when the whole concert hall was standing. For the last piece, Monts invited everyone to stand and sing.
“You’re important to me,” Monts said. “I need you to survive.”
People immediately put their arms around each other and started swaying to the song while all of the choir members streamed into the audience and looked for people to hug.
“Do me a favor,” Monts said, “be nice to each other. Our world is in trouble, and I believe it can only change one person at a time.”
Monts teaches a popular music class at Wesleyan, “Ebony Singers: Gospel Music,” where he offers students advice and encouragement on a weekly basis.
“I love going to Ebony Singers because it has the best atmosphere of any class I’ve taken at Wesleyan,” said Samantha Charm ’09. “Sometimes he makes us walk around and hug random people.”
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