What concerns you concerns God, says Karen Gibson

Kingdom Choir founder talks inspiration for the roup’s ne sin le and loo s ahead to their anniversary year. By Joel Campbell

THIRTY YEARS later and Karen Gibson still hasn’t adjusted to the love and adulation that comes her way as the founder of Kingdom Choir, and she tells Lifestyle that she hopes she never does.

Last month saw Gibson and the choir release their first single of the year aptly titled Not Giving Up

In keeping with the humility that underpins her character, the song isn’t about Gibson’s own personal journey, rather, it’s the result of a collaborative Kingdom Choir effort to draw from their collective experiences in order to create something special to uplift others.

“The track feels amazing to me. I love the sentiment, I love the voices, I love the arrangement. It feels really powerful to me,” Gibson enthused.

“We were in the season of songwriting and wanted to write what we felt would be relevant to the world. I think you would agree that the past couple of years have been quite something, for everybody.

“Everybody has suffered quite a bit and I feel that we just wanted to encourage people to keep going, because things are difficult and I feel like there have been some unprecedented things that we have seen throughout the world and it’s quite discombobulating if you sit down and you think about it too much.

“So we just wanted to encourage people to keep going, don’t give up, no matter what it looks like.

“There’s been so much loss and sickness, the economic situation, it’s a lot for people but we’re just telling them, you keep on going, one foot in front of the other, keep going. It will get better.”

Not Giving Up features the full baritone lead vocal of Wayne

Ellington which blends sweetly with the reassuring vocals of thechoir.

Speaking on the group working together to find the right balance, Gibson said: “We wanted to write about things that were relevant to everybody, what’s happening in the world, what are people going through?

“How can we write to really let people know that what concerns you concerns God.

Heart

“We want to be his voice on the earth. So we wanted to write with a heart that was concerned for people but also what would God say? He’d say, don’t give up, keep going.

“That was the starting point. Then we have a young man in our choir, his name is Jonathan Owusu-Yianomah, he’s very talented –he’s actually an artist in his own right, wonderful singer, arranger and producer.

“He sat us down one day, asked us some questions and ended up helping us by curating the writing sessions with member of the choir but he also brought some collaborators.”

Gibson had led the choir for over two decades from 1994 before their breakthrough moment in the spotlight, during which time the group – spread across London and from various Christian traditions –became renowned for their shared talents, collective spirit, and instantly uplifting performances.

The continued love shown for The Kingdom Choir in the wake of their Royal Wedding performances has truly elevated their status. They released their debut album Stand By Me that same year and it entered the charts at number 17 during a four-week run in the top 40 while the title track hit number one on the Billboard Gospel Songs Chart.

Their subsequent releases have included Real Love which earned repeated Radio 2 airplay; the Together Again festive EP; and last year’s Apple Music Home Session, which was released to commemorate Black History Month.

Wonderful

Following a brief break over the festive period, Gibson and Kingdom Choir are back on the road again. With it being an anniversary year and an impending tour of America coming up, things are set to get busy. Gibson’s looking forward to it.

“This is not the first time we ve been on tour to the US, we went back in 2019 which doesn’t feel like that long ago but it is four years ago. We had a wonderful time then.

“We were really warmly received by the American crowd. I was very surprised about that because as far as I was con- cerned, we were taking coal to Newcastle. You know, a Gospel choir singing Gospel music in the country where Gospel was created.

“So I was quite nervous but it was wonderful so I am looking forward to going back.

“I know that some of the shows are sold out already which is very encouraging. It will be intense, it s five and a half weeks and 24 dates and it starts off in Canada. I don’t remember all of the venues but America is not a small place and we are going all over, so lot’s of travelling. I’m anticipating lots of great moments.”

UK fans of Kingdom choir need not feel left out, Gibson says they will be back in the country before we know it.

“There will be new music released later this year,” Gibson announced.

“I hesitate to say that there will be another tour, but I do know that some dates are being lined up. We will be at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on November 30, so we have a concert then.”

Watch the full interview at www.voice-online.co.uk