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St. Olaf gets a little soul

By Alexandra Wertz '12
May 4, 2011

"My heart is fixed, my mind's made up
No room, no vacancies, I'm all filled up
His spirit lives in me and that's the reason I'm souled out!"

Darrin Thomas, the conductor of the St. Olaf Gospel Choir, sings these words in falsetto, teaching the sopranos their part. Seconds later, he sings it again, this time a little lower so the altos can hear their part. And then a third time, Thomas sings it lower, in a deep and rich voice, for the tenor section to hear.

Thomas uses no music when he sings. Nobody does.

As one choir member puts it, "I come to gospel choir and it doesn't matter how good, bad, ugly, or indifferent my day was. Gospel choir always makes it better. People are always loud and excited, and it doesn't take long for that attitude to become infectious."

Once everyone has their parts, the choir sings together. Not more than a few seconds go by until the singers start clapping and moving along, and shouts and whistles fill the wordless spaces.

Thomas likes the strong three-part harmony he hears, and directs the choir to sing these words over and over. The voices get louder, the pace picks up, and Thomas cuts the choir off as everyone breaks into applause and laughter.

This scene is a typical Monday night for 130 St. Olaf students. What started out as a 15-member, student-initiated group 10 years ago has grown into a gospel choir too big to fit on the risers. The reason for its large attendance and its incessant energy is clearly Darrin Thomas himself.

Thomas, a singer, songwriter, and choral director from Minneapolis, is in his fourth year with the St. Olaf Gospel Choir. His passion for music began more than 30 years ago, when he played drums for his father’s church in the Twin Cities. It was while watching his mother conduct the choir that he became interested in gospel music. Under her tutelage, he was given the privilege to serve as president and choir conductor of the Greater St. Paul Church of God in Christ. Thomas has worked with various choirs across the Twin Cities metropolitan area teaching, conducting workshops, and coordinating concert performances.

While Darrin Thomas leads the group, his younger brother, Kevin, never lets up at the piano.

"This is one of the largest choirs I've had the opportunity to work with," Thomas says of the St. Olaf Gospel Choir. "They are very disciplined and learn quickly. This is very impressive considering the number of students in the choir."

And leading the St. Olaf Gospel Choir is something of a family affair. Darrin Thomas's younger brother, Kevin Thomas, is the choir's pianist. Like his brother, the younger Thomas doesn’t use music — instead, he plays by ear.

"The students' enthusiasm is truly a driving force that keeps Kevin and I wanting to come back, having the opportunity to introduce gospel music to various cultures," Darrin Thomas says. "Gospel music reaches the soul."

Nobody turned away
The St. Olaf Gospel Choir welcomes all students on campus, no matter their musical background or talent. Thomas also allows any member to solo and any member to accompany the choir with an instrument. The ensemble currently features a guitar, a bass, a trumpet, a violin, a viola, and drums.

"Darrin gives stylistic instruction to us from the gospel tradition so that our music sounds authentic and true to the genre," says Lynnette Simpson '11, a member of both the St. Olaf Choir and the Gospel Choir. "The music of gospel choir is a mixture of traditional hymns and contemporary gospel music inspired by R&B, blues, hip-hop, and pop influences. The atmosphere during rehearsal and concerts is joyous, and it's refreshing music that anyone — regardless of musical ability — can relate to and take part in."

The St. Olaf Gospel Choir rehearses for an hour and a half every Monday evening. "I come to gospel choir and it doesn't matter how good, bad, ugly, or indifferent my day was. Gospel choir always makes it better," says Jennifer Franklin '13. "People are always loud and excited, and it doesn't take long for that attitude to become infectious."

On most songs, the singers are instructed to move side to side with the beat. But even on the slower, more soulful pieces, it seems singers just can't stand still. "I love how we feel the music and dance along," says Allison Johnson '12. "It's hard to let your inhibitions down when singing sometimes, but with so much energy during practice, you can't help but groove along."

The St. Olaf Gospel Choir currently performs one concert a year. This year's concert will be Sunday (use the link to watch the live and archived online stream).

Thomas hopes to eventually see the choir record, travel, have their own robes, and even compete in gospel choir competitions. In the meantime, though, Thomas says he feels blessed to conduct this choir. And it's evident through the attendance, dedication, and energy of its members that this choir feels blessed to have Thomas, too.

Contact David Gonnerman at 507-786-3315 or gonnermd@stolaf.edu.