As the concept of a church cantor becomes more popular, and choir stalls give way to overhead projector screens and choir robes collect even more dust, the Boulevard Baptist Church reminded patrons that sacred choral music in Jamaica is indeed alive and kicking.

Director of Music at Boulevard Joseph McIntyre, and his team, organised a musical feast sure to create pot bellies and nourish even the soul which last saw the inside of a church New Year’s Eve 2009. The programme dubbed “Jesus! The One and Only” had three segments – The Cradle, The Cross and The Kingdom. The music, then, chronicled these three crucial aspects of a good Christian’s life.

Truly the function needed no chairperson, but Dr Michelle Meredith knew how to let the music speak and only speaking at sectional intervals ensuring we did not “go too far into the light” and slip away — as it were. She had the assistance of Mabel Livingston narrating the journey and moving the spirit to take flight.

The membership of some choirs in attendance would rival total attendance at many services on a first Sunday as some seemed to have up to fifty members. Among the choirs present were hosts Boulevard Baptist, along with their youth chorale and a rousing children’s choir; Bethel, East Queen Street, Tarrant ; Phillipo, and Haven Hill Baptist churches; Andrews Seventh-day Adventist ; Diocesan Festival Choir (Anglican); and special guest Nexus Performing Arts Company.

On organ was the capable Michelle Bromley who seemed at times to have truly pulled out all the stops to show resonance and depth of the Boulevard organ. Accompaniment also came from Lloyd Clarke, piano, and Mickel Gordon who played on even when his keyboard stand gave way and he had to clutch the instrument in his lap — not a note was missed. Livingston Burnett was also seen playing dual roles of chorister and organist.

Among the highlights of the near 30-item evening was the opening piece entitled Born to Die — a true introduction to the themes by the Boulevard Baptist. They also closed the second segment with a vigorous Crown Him. Tarrant Baptist presented A Baby Changes Everything led by spectacular soloist Lori Burnett and decorated with recorded sounds of a baby’s cry. East Queen Street soared on Behold the Man and the Diocesan Festival Choir answered with the spirited In Dat Great Gittin Up Morning. Bethel Baptist brought the sweetness of Come, Emmanuel, Come and Haven Hill served up the reflective Midnight Cry and I bowed on my knees and cried, Holy. Andrews SDA was solid in their rendition of No More Night and Shall we gather at the river, heralding the kingdom.

One of only two a cappella pieces for the evening came from the Boulevard Youth Chorale What if God is Unhappy with our praise — a welcome contrast to the full-sound accompaniment that characterised all the other pieces. Not to be outdone were the crowd-moving Boulevard Children’s Choir that contributed Jesus, O What a wonderful child and I’m going with Jesus. They were a pleasure to listen and sight to behold.

The Nexus Performing Arts Company added their own flavour to the evening’s proceedings. Among their pieces were I will Give Thanks unto Thee, A Joyful Alleluia and the thrilling Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing. Recognisably the smallest choir of the evening, they managed a full sound. They made good work of the unaccompanied Joyful Alleluia, displaying varied textures and immense control of their vocal instruments. The listening congregation responded with equally full applause at the quality sound from the youthful group under the direction of Hugh Douse.

While an overall enthralling evening of choral presentation, the three-hour programme was a bit lengthy. Future presentations will do better with only some choirs moving as the laborious process of choir-change after choir-change interrupted the thrill of the evening. Additionally, the sound technicians will do with some guidance from choir directors on microphone placement for respective choirs to create the desired balance of the voices and volume control.

Local churches may therefore take heart in knowing that the day of the choir is not gone. Dust off those robes, schedule those rehearsals, pull out those musical scores tucked away in those libraries; church choral music is on the rise… move over cantor! …The choir will now present an item.