Arcata Interfaith Gospel Choir

Based in Arcata, California, USA, the Arcata Interfaith Gospel Choir is a community-based interfaith group of adult vocalists who share a love of Black gospel music. The non-profit AIGC consists of about 80 members who regularly perform at local community events such as Martin Kuther King Jr. celebrations,^[1] festivals, churches, baseball games, and the county jail. The choir also presents its own concerts each year: a Harvest Concert in the late fall, Holiday Concerts in early December, and a Prayer Breakfast^[2][3] in early May.

The choir released CDs in 2005 and 2013. In 2014 the choir produced a DVD called "Rejoicing in Song." This captured a concert recorded live at the Arkley Center for the Performing Arts in Eureka, California in May 2013 together with award-winning blues and gospel singer Earl Thomas.^[4][5][6] Choir members explain what the choir is about in a Kickstarter video.^[7]

AIGC has performed with the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir and hosts gospel singing workshops in the Arcata/Eureka area.^[8]

Auditions open to any interested singers are held every September and January.

Mission Statement^[9]

The principal purpose of the AIGC is:
To acknowledge the inspiration of Black Gospel Music to express its power of Spirit and Creation.
To bring a message of faith, hope, love and joy to our community and the world.
To exemplify through interfaith, multi-racial and multi-cultural membership the principles of equality, justice, peace, unity and cooperation.
To enable our human family to experience community in fellowship, celebrating unity in diversity through our music.

History^[10]

Inspired by a visit to the Humboldt County area by the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, the Arcata Interfaith Gospel Choir was born in the spring of 1992. OIGC was part of that year’s concert series organized by Humboldt State University’s performing arts organization, CenterArts.

This event occurred synchronistically the weekend after the riots in Los Angeles following the Rodney King verdict. When OIGC came to perform that weekend, everyone was despondent and the concert, which was followed the next day with a Prayer Breakfast, served to heal the spirit and bring those present together in harmony.

Among the speakers were Nathan Smith, Professor of Ethnic Studies, and Caleb Rosado, Professor of Sociology at HSU. The inspired singing from OIGC, the HSU’s Black Student Union Men’s Ensemble, directed by Lourin Plant, and local vocalist, Karen Dumont, moved everyone to tears in the old Arcata Community Center.

This interfaith and multiracial morning provided the vision for a small group of people who formed AIGC and the Multicultural Interfaith Fellowship. Several days after the Prayer Breakfast, the first choir rehearsal was held with Lourin Plant, a choral conductor at HSU, directing and the Fellowship began meeting at the Arcata Presbyterian Church. Thus from violence and turmoil, the seeds of love, hope and joy were born.

When Lourin Plant moved out of the area, Karen Dumont, one of the principal soloists for AIGC, agreed to direct the choir until a trained director could be found. That never happened and she served as director for eleven years.

Barbara Culbertson served as choir director for several years after Karen Dumont retired from the choir. Jaese Lecuyer, a choir member and assistant director under Barbara Culbertson, took the role as director for the 2008-2009 season. Jim Hubbard, another longtime member, took the leadership role starting in 2009, with Louis Hoiland as assistant director. The accompanist for the choir is Bob Ebenstein.

References

External links

• AIGC website
• AIGC Facebook page
• OIGC website