Rev. Dr. Emory Andrews & the Oxon Hill High School Choir

Rev. Dr. Emory Andrews & the Oxon Hill High School Choir
(self-titled)
SOV Ministries (2011)
www.emoryandrews.com

By Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog.

Having been married to the late Patricia Andrews Marovich, a Chicago high school choral director par excellence who departed this earth eleven years ago in December, I was intrigued to discover that a high school choir won a Stellar Award. Hearing their new self-titled album, their third CD, I can understand why.

In 2010, the Oxon Hill High School Choir, under the direction of Rev. Dr. Emory Andrews, won the Stellar Award for Children’s CD of the Year for their album Amazing. It was the first high school choir to win a major gospel award, but it’s not just any choir. Dr. Andrews has more than 35 years in music education. Gospel singer Philip Carter is an alumnus of Prince George’s County’s Oxon Hill Science and Technology High School in Oxon Hill, Maryland, and he knows a thing or two about directing a youth ensemble. Carter lends his talents to producing the album; he and his wife Stephanie are the project’s executive producers. Philip Carter even joins Dr. Andrews as a soloist on an album track, “Spiritual Warfare.”

The complexity of the arrangements and overall professionalism make it hard to believe the sound is coming from teens, but their youthful vitality shines through from beginning to end.

When I popped the CD in the player, I was hoping that the choir would do something a cappella to show off their talents, and also feature at least one soloist from the group. They didn’t disappoint on either count. “You Can’t Make Me Doubt Him” is a well-executed a cappella performance that showcases the group’s dynamic versatility; and on “Hear My Prayer,” chorister April Whitfield offers such a lovely, warm solo that this track is one of the album’s finest moments. While the guest vocalists do fine work, I hope that future releases by the choir feature more soloists from the choir like Ms. Whitfield.

The old standard “The Storm is Passing Over,” is the album’s lead single, and GRAMMY-nominated saxophonist Gerald Albright gives it a bounce that Charles A. Tindley couldn’t have imagined when he penned the gospel hymn, but it works. Most importantly, the performance gives the choir’s harmonies a solid hearing.

The album booklet indicates the presence of vocal overdubs by individuals not on the list of Oxon Hill students who participated in the recording. I hope this was kept to a minimum because a CD of a high school choir should focus on the choir, especially one as good as this.

NOTE: Hear cuts from the album during an online listening party on CJBRadio.com on Monday, November 14, 2011 at 4:00 p.m. EST. Rev. Dr. Emory Andrews, the founder of the group, will be interviewed by CJBRadio.com’s own Kevin James as well. To tune in to the Online Listening Party, log on to www.CJBRadio.com.

Four of Five Stars

Picks: “The Storm is Passing Over,” “Hear My Prayer.”