Burlington Baptist Church in Ipswich was the venue for an exciting gospel choir workshop in October, led by Steve and Vel Thompson, two of the UK’s leading gospel artists. They bring with them a wealth of experience in leading worship and workshops in over 80 countries, and have worked on many albums with Graham Kendrick and other leading Christian musicians and song-writers.

Around 40 singers from across East Anglia attended, and from the outset, Steve’s infectious style encouraged them to release their voices to produce the unique nuances of gospel style. After a few warm-ups and exercises, Steve and Vel soon had them singing enthusiastically to backing tracks that Steve had prepared.

The day ended with a worship evening combining the songs learned earlier with prayer and a period of “Psalm-surfing”, where people were encouraged to step out and improvise to the words of Psalms.

This was Cantus Firmus’s first event in Ipswich, and we hope to explore more opportunities to develop our ministry beyond Colchester.

Richard Hubbard