IT IS a big weekend for the congregation and supporters of the newest church building in Huddersfield.
And boy do they intend to celebrate. X Factor star Rhydian Roberts and the London Community Gospel Choir will lead the celebrations at the grand opening of Cathedral House, the new home for Huddersfield Christian Fellowship in St Thomas’s Road, Huddersfield.
Sunday’s concert marks the completion of the second phase of the £12.5million project which includes a 2,100 seat main auditorium.
X Factor star Rhydian Roberts is currently on a UK tour and has agreed to take time out from that schedule to make a guest appearance at Sunday’s concert which begins at 7.30pm.
The sound of the London Community Gospel Choir will be the main focus of the evening and this is just the choir to create that celebratory feeling.
The choir was founded in the early Eighties and became the first concert gospel choir in the UK.
The choir says that its philosophy of Out Of Many, One Voice simply describes the group’s ethos of drawing singers from many churches, cultures and characters.
Today, the resulting choir sings at everything from concerts, private corporate functions, after show parties, conferences, weddings, and funerals and at venues from churches and concert halls to prisons and open-air festivals.
Their sound has wide appeal. They have sung on the soundtrack for Walt Disney’s The Lion King, sung for Nelson Mandela when he visited London, supported Madonna on stage during Live 8, opened on the main stage at Glastonbury and put gospel on the BBC Prom map for the first time.
Andrew Kisumba, events co-ordinator at the church said: “The gospel choir are an uplifting, joyous group and have supported stars as diverse as Blur and Stevie Wonder.
“The last time they were in Huddersfield in 2006 we talked to them about this building when it was still just a dream.
“Now it is a reality we are delighted they have agreed to perform. This is a music concert, not a church service.”
Hear them in Huddersfield at Cathedral House on May 27 at 7.30pm.
Tickets for London Community Gospel Choir and Rhydian premium seats on the night are £20 for adults and £15 for children with £15 and £10 for standard seats.
