Broadway Utica Staff
Danielle Padula, Executive Director
Jill Conley, Finance Director
Kristen Matteson, Program Director
Joe Fanelli, Technical Director
Board of Directors 2024-2025
Anne Milograno, President
Eugene Falvo, Vice President
Board Members
Paul Drejza, Treasurer
Carol Furno, Secretary
Joan Brown-Hobaica Peter Loftus Colleen Noga Matthew Romanow
S hout it from the roof tops!
PERFORMERS
Karen Gibson, Conductor
Sopranos
Nicole Di Gioacchino
Lois Graham
Alicia J Saddler
Chekirah Ugoala
Altos
Ruth Ankrah
Abi Balfour
Bobbie Barnor
Daniella Ellington
Tenors/Basses
Gershom Brown
Wayne Hernandez
Joshua Lavaly
Jonathan Owusu-Yianomah
Band
Chris Morris, Drummer/MD
Peter Daley, Keyboards
SETLIST
O Come, O Come Emmanuel
Joy to the World
Brand New Day
Praise Belongs to Our God
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Together Again
Lovely Day
INTERMISSION
O Come Let Us Adore Him
Go Tell It On The Mountain
African Medley
Silent Night/Hark The Herald Angels Sing
Not Giving Up
Stand by Me
This Christmas
We Wish You A Merry Christmas
Karen Gibson, an award-winning choir conductor and workshop leader, is a powerhouse of inspiration and energy. Known for the high quality of her work, Karen’s experience is extensive. She has been involved with vocal groups and choirs for over 25 years, conducting gospel workshops across the UK and Europe as well as Nigeria, Japan, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and the USA. She has been instrumental in drawing together and conducting some of the most prestigious large-scale choirs for a variety of gospel and community initiatives. Karen has also run workshops for aspiring gospel conductors in the UK, Poland, Norway and Italy. She has successfully run gospel choirs in schools across London teaching singing and training future leaders. A press review of Karen’s work states: ‘Karen Gibson knows how to bring the best out of people, to allow their latent talent to come alive and, most importantly, to create a synergy that ensures the music is tight, strong, and yet also borne on the wings of a poised ensemble’ The positive impact of gospel singing led to her establishing her own community gospel choir, Gospel on The Rise in the heart of Clapham Junction. In 2020, Karen was listed as a Member of the Order of the British Empire for services to music.
Karen’s solo appearances on TV include as a competitor on Celebrity MasterChef, as a guest on the James Martin show and Portrait Artist of the Year, as a presenter on Britain’s Easter Story and Britain’s Christmas Story, and as a judge on The Naked Choir, Songs of Praise and Côr Cymru. Karen has also hosted her own mini-series on Scala Radio.
Conductor, Gospel Prom, Royal Albert Hall, 2016 Highlights
Founder and director of the award-winning Kingdom Choir, who have been one of the most sought-after gospel choirs for radio and television work.
Facilitating workshops all over the UK and abroad in countries such as Germany, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Norway, France, Latvia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Switzerland, Tenerife, Poland, Japan, Nigeria, Rwanda, Zimbabwe and the USA. Delegates have numbered anywhere between 20 and 1000.
Performances for dignitaries such as Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, Mr Bill Clinton, the US Ambassador, Prince Phillip and the Queen, Pope Benedict XVI during his visit to England
Presenter, Britain’s Christmas Story, BBC1, 2019
Presenter, Britain’s Easter Story, BBC1, 2019
Gospel Choir Conductor, The Kingdom Choir for the Royal Wedding of the Duke & Duchess of Sussex, 2018
Judge, BBC Songs of Praise
Gospel Choir of The Year, 2017 and 2018
Named as one of the best Gospel Choir conductors in the UK, and listed as one of the 20 most influential Black Christian women in the 100th issue of Keep the Faith Magazine, 2017
Leading a ‘How To’ Gospel workshop for 250 educators at the London Music and Drama Education Expo 2017
Opening for the first ever Music and Drama Education Expo in Manchester, 2017
Founder and director of Gospel on The Rise, a community gospel choir in the heart of Battersea, 2017
Panel Juror on Gareth Malone’s BBC2 The Naked Choir and The Choir, 2015, 2016
Contributor to a series of episodes for the BBCs Songs of Praise introducing gospel music to the UK, 2015
Gospel specialist on Gareth Malone’s The Choir: Sing While You Work, 2013
Launching the official Olympic Team GB Theme song, Royal Albert Hall, 2012
Performing at Buckingham Palace before Prince Charles with Maria Fidelis School Gospel Choir, 2011
Performing before Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech writer, Clarence B. Jones, 2011
Cited in the first ever book written about British Gospel Music, ‘British Black Gospel’ by Steve Alexander Smith, as a pioneer of the sound of gospel in this country, 2009
Conductor, mass choir, Concert for Diana 2007
Conducting the Kingdom Choir at Buckingham Palace during the Queen’s Jubilee procession, 2002
Conductor, mass choir, VE Day Celebrations, Buckingham Palace, 1995
Awards and Honours
Honorary Fellowship recipient, RSL Awards in collaboration with GMIA, 2024
Award recipient, The Lavine Hudson Outstanding Contribution to UK Gospel Award, Karen Gibson, 2022
Award Recipient, Archbishop of Canterbury Lambeth Awards, Alphege Award for Evangelism and Witness, Karen Gibson, 2022
Award Recipient, AStepFwd Awards, Outstanding Contribution Award, Karen Gibson, 2021
Winner, AStepFwd Awards, Song of The Year (Real Love) The Kingdom Choir, 2021
Winner, The Music Media Platforms Award Best Choir, The Kingdom Choir, 2021
MBE Award recipient, Queens Birthday Honours list for services to music, Karen Gibson, 2020
Winner, UK Entertainment Awards Best Gospel Act, The Kingdom Choir, 2019
Winner, Premier Gospel Choir of The Year, The Kingdom Choir, 2019
Winner, GX Gospel Awards Choir/Group of The Year, The Kingdom Choir, 2019
Award Recipient, Wise Woman Awards, Christian Woman of The Year, Karen Gibson, 2019
Award Recipient, Brit Certified Breakthrough Award, The Kingdom Choir, 2018
Winner, Gospel Touch Music Awards Group of The Year, The Kingdom Choir, 2018
Finalist, BBC Songs of Praise School Choir of The Year, St Anne’s Girl’s School Gospel Choir, 2018
Winner, Enfield Mayoral Choral Competition, Bishop Stopford School Gospel Choir, 2018
Winner, Enfield Mayoral Choral Competition, Bishop Stopford School Gospel Choir, 2017
Winner, Enfield Mayoral Choral Competition, St Anne’s Girl’s School Gospel Choir, 2016
Winner, Wise Women Awards, Music Category, Karen Gibson, 2015
Winner, BBC Songs of Praise Gospel Choir of the Year, Lewes Sings Gospel Community Choir, 2014
Winner, Enfield Mayoral Choral Competition, St Anne’s Girl’s School Gospel Choir, 2014
Winner, Enfield Mayoral Choral Competition, St Anne’s Girl’s School Gospel Choir, 2013
Award recipient, Outstanding contribution to the Music and Choral Ministry, Church of God of Prophecy, Karen Gibson, 2013
Award recipient, Jack Petchey, Outstanding service to young people, Karen Gibson, 2012
Finalist, BBC Choir of the Year, SINGIT Gospel Choir, 2011
Winner, Songs of Praise Senior School Choir of the year, Maria Fidelis School Gospel Choir, 2010
Winner, Gem Awards best Gospel Album, Kingdom Choir, 2005
Winner, Gem Awards best Gospel Choir, Kingdom Choir, 2004
Winner, BBC Radio 2 Church Minstrels of the year, Kingdom Choir, 2000
For more see:
Karen Gibson and the Maria Fidelis Convent School Gospel Choir’s winning performance at the 2010 BBC School Choir of the Year competition - http://bbc.in/1ANjYAa
Karen Gibson and the Lewes Sings Gospel Choir winning performance at the BBC Songs of Praise Gospel Choir of the Year 2014 - http://bit.ly/18157Yn
Karen Gibson conducts at the Gospel Prom 2016 https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=GzNX6McnvXU
Karen Gibson conducts ‘Stand by Me’ performed by The Kingdom Choir, The Royal Wedding, 2018
BBC https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyFlLjdNqk8
Biography 2023
Having toured a sell-out show across 18 cities in the UK, The Kingdom Choir has performed at British Summer Time with Barbara Streisand, opened the Major League Baseball game, performed headline tours across the US and Australia, and headlined at Latitude, Hay Festival, Cornbury Festival, The Piano Guys, Fez Festival and this year enjoyed a once-in-a-lifetime performance at The Coronation Prom at the Royal Albert Hall. They will celebrate their 30th anniversary this year with a sold-out Queen Elizabeth Hall show on November 30th and a performance at Trevor Nelson’s Soul Christmas at the Royal Albert Hall on December 18th.
The Kingdom’s Choir’s latest release ‘Be Alright’ is a particularly shining example of how The Kingdom Choir takes the stirring heart of the gospel tradition and with a rich array of modern soul touches, gives us music that’s both timeless and relevant to our era. It follows previous singles, ‘Let It Rain’, ‘Not Giving Up’, ‘Together Again’ and ‘Real Love’ (released in 2020) which was a UK summer radio hit, playlisted on Radio 2’s A List.
This year, the Choir celebrate 30 years as The Kingdom Choir. Founder/ conductor, Karen Gibson, was awarded an MBE in 2020 for her service to Music.
The choir was founded in 1994 by award-winning choir conductor Karen Gibson MBE who has been described as ‘Britain’s Godmother of Gospel’ by both the Guardian and the BBC and is recognised throughout the world as one of the best gospel music directors. Karen has conducted some of the most prestigious, large-scale choirs across the UK. The high standard of her work has taken her across Europe and further – Japan, Rwanda, Nigeria, Guyana, and the USA. Karen’s choirs are regular finalists or winners of choir competitions, including BBC Songs of Praise Gospel Choir of The Year. After eleven years working in IT and a further seven years in teaching, the positive impact of gospel music has led to Karen’s current vocation. The Kingdom Choir is one of her many choirs that have spread the joy of the genre.
Following their show-stopping performance of ‘Stand By Me’ at the Royal Wedding on 19 May 2018, The Kingdom Choir signed a major record deal
with Sony Music UK. The record label beat off stiff competition to sign the highly sought-after collective.
The Kingdom Choir released their debut album ‘Stand By Me’ on 26th October 2018. The album included the choir’s much-loved rendition of ‘Stand By Me’, which went straight in at Number 1 on the Billboard Gospel Songs Chart, and showcased the pure joy and spiritual essence that runs through all of their performances. Since May 2018, their arrangement of ‘Stand By Me’ has also become a viral internet sensation receiving over 17 million views on YouTube.
The group of singers from in and around London draw from various Christian traditions and are dedicated to creating a sound that demonstrates the community they share through their warm energy and enthusiastic performance. Prior to performing in front of nearly 2 billion people at the Royal Wedding, the largest audience The Kingdom Choir had performed to in recent years was just 600 people. Since then the choir have performed concerts all over the world including sold out shows at the Hollywood Bowl, the Royal Albert Hall, the Dubai 2020 Expo (in 2022) and the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games in Sydney.
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Transworld Business Advisors is the world leader in the marketing and sales of businesses, mergers and acquisitions, and franchises. Our advisors will help you get the best possible price for your business while taking the lead on getting your business sold so you can focus on running your business successfully
Jona Quiles- President
315-207-7133
Jona Quiles- President
Transworld Business Advisors is the world leader in the marketing and sales of businesses, mergers and acquisitions, and franchises. Our advisors will help you get best possible price for your business while taking the lead on getting your business so you can focus on running your business successfully.
315-207-7133
www.tworld.com/mvwest
Transworld Business Advisors is the world leader in the marketing and sales of businesses, mergers and acquisitions, and franchises. Our advisors will help you get the best possible price for your business while taking the lead on getting your business sold so you can focus on running your business successfully.
www.tworld.com/mvwest
Jona Quiles- President
315-207-7133
Jona Quiles- President
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www.tworld.com/mvwest
315-207-7133
www.tworld.com/mvwest
2219 Genesee St | Utica, NY | 13501
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2219 Genesee St | Utica, NY | 13501
2219 Genesee St | Utica, NY | 13501
OCT. 19–JAN. 12
PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE BANK OF AMERICA COLLECTION
This exhibition has been loaned through the Bank of America Art in our Communities® program Additional support provided by exhibition series sponsors Christian and Cheryl Heilmann, Elizabeth R. Lemieux, Ph.D., and the Family of F. X. Matt II
310 GENESEE ST., UTICA, N.Y. 13502 | MUNSON.ART
