Pastor Pat Wright by Piper Hanson
Last Memorial Day—May 30, 2011—Northwest Folklife began the morning with the Presentation of the Colors, honoring past and present members of the military, on the Mural Stage. As the flags were being positioned on the sides of the stage, the Total Experience Gospel Choir stepped forward and began the first clear notes of the National Anthem. The choir put to beautiful voice emotions that the entire audience shared.
Seattle is fortunate to be home to the Total Experience Gospel Choir and Pastor Patrinell Wright, its founder. The choir is a community choir—multi-racial, multi-generational, and multi-talented. Most of Seattle’s neighborhoods are represented by members of the choir. In turn, the choir itself represents the City of Seattle throughout the world. Since its organization in 1973, the Total Experience Gospel Choir has traveled to 36 contiguous states as well as Hawaii and Alaska and has performed in 28 countries on five continents.
In this fourth installment of Northwest Stories, a series of video portraits of communities in the region, we listen to Pastor Wright’s reminiscences about the choir’s beginnings and hear from current members about what it means to participate in the Total Experience Gospel Choir.
It was around 1980 when I first heard this stellar choir. It sang in joint concert with the Mercer Island Children’s Choir at its home church in Seattle. My older son was about 10. They do indeed make a life-long impact and an unforgetable memory. Knocks you over to hear them, and then to pair them with young children–gives you great hope for the future of America!