GREAT FALLS — After performing at Carnegie Hall last month, the Great Falls Community Gospel Choir is focusing on the ‘community’ aspect of their choir.
On Sunday, the group of gospel singers began rehearsing for next month's performance at the Great Falls Rescue Mission annual banquet. This is the first time the choir’s been asked to perform at the banquet, but the singers didn’t want to take the stage solo.
Choir director Christell Benson said the choir wanted to partner with the mission after visiting New York last month.
“When I was in New York, there were lots of people sleeping on the street and it touched my heart. I went and I made baskets, seven baskets, and gave those homeless people that were sleeping on mattresses. And then something spoke to my heart, ‘You need to do that in your community in Great Falls, Montana
Involving members of the Great Falls Rescue Mission in a community performance is one way Benson felt she could give back.
“We thought it would be a wonderful thing to really include the residents here at the Rescue Mission. That is a mission we want to become involved in,” Benson said.
On April 6th, the gospel choir will perform at the Heritage Inn located at 1700 Fox Farm Road alongside their brothers and sisters from the Great Falls Rescue Mission.
“They’re gonna become the voices of the city...We’re gonna be a part of giving them a renewed spirit in this community, a renewed hope that “Yes, I do have a voice’,” Benson said.
Benson said she has big dreams for the Great Falls Rescue Mission singers.
“I want to see the people from [the] rescue mission - that joined this choir - experience Carnegie Hall,” Benson said.
