James Attlee met up with a bevy of British grassroots gospel acts. Alex Ramsay took the pictures.

LEEDS CHORAL GOSPEL GROUP

Leeds Choral Gospel Group

The Leeds Choral Gospel Group are that unusual thing on the British gospel circuit, an acappella outfit. In these days of more and heavier instrumentation in gospel, their appearances direct attention back to what has always been black gospel's most powerful asset - the unadorned human voice. Not for them the histrionics of some contemporary gospel performances - all the drama is in the music itself, and in the impossibly tight and intricate harmonies of the arrangements.

The origins of the group lie in a New Testament Church Of God in Leeds back in 1986, when Una Higgins and five of her friends decided to enter a talent contest. To their own surprise they ended up the winners of the New Testament National Youth Talent event and found themselves launched on a series of concerts that included support slots with LCGC, the Inspirational Choir and Channels Of Praise. The current line-up comprises of Una Higgins, Diane Miller, Pauline Blair, Marcia Bryant and identical twins Deniece and Diane Bridge.

I asked director and arranger Una what made the group decide on the acappella sound.

"We didn't intend to be acappella originally, but musicians tend to be a bit over-enthusiastic and we didn't want to destroy the harmonies with too much music. We didn't use musicians for the competitions and it sounded good so we decided to keep it that way."

Are you influenced by any artists in particular?
"I do love Sweet Honey In The Rock and there's a group called Brothers In Christ that I like as well."

Sweet Honey don't always sing material that would normally be seen as fitting in the gospel category...
"No, but I love the sound they get, and the deep harmonies...they're so soulful. I want to attain to that, we've got a long way to go yet, but with patience we'll get there."

What kind of venues do you play?
"As well as the usual gospel concerts. we've sung on local radio, for charities, in local schools, hospitals, wherever we minister, so we don't mind where we sing. If you ask us to sing at a concert or in a hospital we'll sing, as long as we feel its right, as long as we're ministering we're happy. We're not just a singing group, we also come together to pray, for Bible study and to encourage each other - I think that's why we stay together really."

Your performance at the Gloria Gaynor concert was certainly a breath of fresh air.
"We like to say that we refresh the soul - we know we're not a raunchy heavy beat kind of group but I think we've got our place in the gospel."

PLAIN TRUTH

Plain Truth

Plain Truth have been a name on the British gospel scene for some four years, but the current line-up can only claim six months playing together - yet already they're being hailed as the best line-up yet.

Main writer and composer is Clifton Hutchinson, who plays keyboards, as well as sharing the vocal duties with his brothers Clinton and Delroy and Andre Bromfield. The tight funk beat is generated by the rhythm section of Robin Watson on bass and Dave Gibbons on drums, while lead guitar is taken care of by Joseph Ross.

"We come from various different churches in the Midlands," explains Delroy. "Denomination don't matter because we don't believe in keeping the barriers up between churches - we are worshipping the same Lord, and God cannot be divided."

"We aren't in this for the money," adds Joseph. "Sure, it would be good to earn a living, but I think the biggest break is to see people get saved through our ministry."

"We did a mini-tour in Devon a few weeks ago and ministered to a lot of unsaved young people" - this is Delroy - "people were saved every night and on the last night nine people were filled with the Holy Spirit. While we were down there we did a concert in a prison, which was an experience. We realise that our talent comes from God and He can take it away as easily as He gave, if we abuse it."

As to the possibility of recording, the group paint a fairly bleak picture of the prospects for a black gospel group in Britain in the current climate.