Imagine 100 men, all sporting navy blue suits with matching gold ties, standing straight as statues as they walk into a church’s choir stand.
A word of prayer is given, a Bible scripture is read, and suddenly the 61,000-square-foot worship center at the Fort Bend Church in Sugar Land resounds with the men clapping and swaying in unison from side to side. Some in the choir lift hands high and others shout, “Thank you Jesus!”
The tenors, baritones and bass sections begin to encourage a guitarist playing in Carlos Santana’s style and a drummer and pianist to “come on” as they join in.
Then the singing begins, with songs including the Williams Brothers’ I’m Just A Nobody to rhythm-and-blues songs like the O’Jays’ Love Train.
“I believe in teaching a little bit of everything,” music minister Keith Eason said. “It’s an honor and privilege to affect the lives of so many men through music.”
“I believe in teaching a little bit of everything,” music minister Keith Eason said. “It’s an honor and privilege to affect the lives of so many men through music.”
The all-men choir performs the third Sunday of each month at the church at 1900 Eldridge.
Eason, 42, who has personally performed music for former President Bill Clinton and former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, said the church, which has been in existence for only six years, saw its male chorus grow from 30 members to more than 100 in 2009.
“Pastor (Byron) Stevenson initiated a call to all of the men in the church during Father’s Day weekend to get as many men into the choir,” Eason said. “We had about 120 men to step up, and it has just continued from then on.”
Brianne Webb, director of artists and repertoire for Tate Music Group, said she’s never heard of a choir of any race with 100 men in it.
“And I’ve seen it all,” she said.
Tate Music Group promotes gospel groups and artists, including The Voices of Glory, three singers who recently captured America’s attention on NBC’s America’s Got Talent.
“The biggest choir we see has about 30 members in it and we get about 300 submissions a week,” Webb said.
“I don’t know where you would even go to find that many men to sing at one time. This is definitely unheard of and extremely rare. Hopefully, I’ll get to hear them sing one day.”
Fort Bend Church choir president Robert Washington, also known as “Praise Man” on Praise 92.1 FM in Houston, describes the choir as “the most amazing group of men” he has been around.
“If we need to cry in front of 100 men, any one of us can do that and not be looked upon as being less of a man,” Washington said. “We rejoice together and sympathize together. It’s not that we’re such good singers, it’s because we come in with pure hearts and God gives us the voice. With so much negativity out there, it’s so powerful to see so many black men together for the younger generation to see that this is how men should be and what it takes to be a man.”
Washington added that even though it’s rare to have 100 men of any race to sing in a church choir, “It’s not about us.”
“God gets the glory,” he said. “Whatever song we sing, our main objective is how is (God’s) kingdom going to be helped and how will our voices give encouragement to those who are listening.”
