Chance to see Royal faves
THEY were an added ray of sunshine at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in May, and now gospel singers The Kingdom Choir are set to be a sparkling attraction at Gateshead next summer.
Almost exactly a year on from the moment they moved guests and TV viewers to tears with their heart-rending rendition of Stand By Me for the newlyweds, the gospel singers will be coming to Sage Gateshead on May 9 as part of their UK tour.
The date will be their only appearance in the North East during their tour, which will get under way in Sheffield on April 30 and end in Cardiff on May 30. On the May 19 anniversary of their moment in the international spotlight they will be performing back in London – at the Royal Albert Hall this time.
By now they are used to the spotlight, especially since being watched by a global audience of millions when they sang for the happy couple in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. Prior to that, their biggest audience had been about 200 people.
That memorable version of Stand By Me afterwards went straight in to Billboard Gospel Songs Chart at number one and has since received more than 10m views on YouTube. The choir formed in the capital in 1994 and its local members – made up of both men and women – draw on various Christian traditions.
Led by conductor Karen Gibson, their warm and energy-packed performances, which meld choral and gospel music, have won them even more fans during post-wedding appearances on TV, as well as at October’s closing ceremony of Prince Harry’s Invictus Games in Sydney.
Karen said: “The Kingdom Choir is absolutely delighted with the journey of the past few months.
“It’s been a rollercoaster but we wouldn’t have it any other way – first, the honour of being able to sing at the Royal Wedding, then the thrill of being signed to Sony, and now a national tour!
“It’s like an un-dreamt dream – one that you wouldn’t even consider because you never thought it could happen to you.
“We’re very grateful and very excited about what’s to come.” The choir’s new album Stand By Me also features versions of Beyonce’s Halo; John Legend’s All Of Me; Stormzy’s Blinded By Your Grace Part 2 and original track Chases, which choir members have written themselves. For tickets to see The Kingdom Choir at Sage Gateshead visit www.sagegateshead. com