On Thursday night, Feb. 13, Gospel Night was hosted, for the first time ever, at an off-campus venue, Dominican University in San Rafael. For the past three years, the Branson community has overflowed the Branson theater, eager to experience Gospel Night, so that expanding became necessary.
Steve, one of the teacher-musicians of Gospel Night, said, “Not everything made a comeback after the pandemic, but Gospel Night came back even stronger to the point [where] three years removed from the pandemic and it can’t even fit in the theater.”
Gospel Night is an annual music performance where the entire Branson community is invited to participate. Students, faculty and staff come together to perform Gospel music, a type of music that comes directly from the African American Church.
“The focus is not about the quality of voice or musical knowledge,” said Branson music teacher Jaimeo Brown. “It is really more about the experience of what it feels like to sing and with a group of people together to create one sound”
While part of the night consists of solos, duos, trios and quartets, the finale involves the full choir, where all the members participating in Gospel Night come together and sing as one.
A Branson student started the event 31 years ago, hoping to share Gospel music with the Branson community. Since then, Gospel Night remains one of Branson’s most popular and most loved performances.
Dale Anthony, the other teacher-musician who helps to put on Gospel Night, remarked that his “favorite part is the aftermath.”
“After the concert is over, the love and joy that reverberates in the room and just how everyone is so uplifted,” he said.”
Although there may be challenges in putting this event together, as Branson community members are at varying levels of experience — some never having sung before and others, like Hilary Schmitt, a history teacher, who have done many years of Gospel Night — it all eventually comes together, and the nerves are left behind at rehearsal.
Brown describes the history of Gospel music beyond its origin in the African American Church: “The music was designed to help people get through really hard trauma and challenging experiences,” he said.
Steve discussed the impact Gospel can have on the Branson community.
“It’s a varied approach to music, the ‘good news’ music as we call it,” he said. “Branson has a very rich, capable music department. And for that — to experience Gospel for these capable, talented students and staff — for them to experience Gospel in its varied forms, it broadens their sense of unity and acceptance as a whole just because the Gospel message does that.”
Anna Jacobs ‘27, a music student, said of her first year participating in Gospel Night, “I look forward to rehearsals every day. Dale and Steve are the nicest and most fun people ever and it boosts my mood by a 100.”
During the concert, the crowd is on their feet almost the whole time, amped up, singing, clapping and having a great time. Smiles are spread across the performers’ faces as they sing Gospel songs and dance.
“As my last Gospel Night, it was amazing, and I am so glad I could be a part of it,” said Ali Evans ‘25, a Rock Band singer and leader of girls a capella, after her fourth and final Gospel Night. “Truly a high note to end on.”
