The Gospel Truth Choir
Encyclopedia
The Gospel Truth Choir is a Scottish
choir that perform a wide variety of music in a gospel
style. Originally formed by a group of friends in 2007 for the wedding of BAFTA winning composer Paul Leonard-Morgan
, they also regularly perform backing vocals in studio and on stage - as well as being a feature of many wedding ceremonies.
" - which became the charity single for the BBC Scotland Children in Need campaign. the The recording featured a number of celebrities, including Samuel L Jackson, Ashley Jensen
, Dougray Scott
, Billy Boyd, Chris Hoy
, Ally McCoist
, Fred MacAulay, Karen Dunbar
, Elaine C Smith and John Gordon Sinclair
, who were all featured on a part live / part-recorded version alongside B.A. Robertson and Edwyn Collins
on the live BBC Scotland Children in Need show.
Following the BBC appearance, B.A. Robertson invited the choir to join him at Abbey Road Studios
, where they recorded backing vocals on a number of tracks written by the Glaswegian songwriter, including The Living Years (song)
- marking the start of an ongoing relationship between choir and songwriter.
2009 saw the choir contribute vocals to two tracks on the debut album of Codeine Velvet Club
, a Glasgow
band featuring Jon Lawler of The Fratellis
. This album was released in the UK in 2009 and the US in 2010. In late 2009 the choir joined The Skids
onstage during their performance at "Homecoming Live" - a celebration of Scottish music held at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre
in Glasgow to celebrate the end of Scotland's year of homecoming.
In January 2010 the choir made a number of appearances around the Celtic Connections
festival. Most notably, they contributed to "A Scottish Songbook" - a concert at Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall which featured a number of acts performing songs by Scots songwriters. As well as reprising "The Living Years" with B.A. Robertson, the choir sang with Ricky Ross (musician)
, Lorraine McIntosh
, Karine Polwart
, Siobhan Boyle and Maeve Mackinnon, to a sell-out audience of 2500 people. Later in the festival the choir performed a full concert with Glasgow artist Horse McDonald at City Halls in Glasgow.
February 2010 saw the choir join Paul Carrack
on stage at Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall to perform on his version of The Living Years (song)
.Later the same month, the group appeared live on on STV's news magazine show The Hour performing a version of Amazing Grace. In March, members of the choir rejoined The Skids
for two sold-out shows in Glasgow and Dunfermline.
In October 2010 the choir released their debut album, "Deep Fried Gospel", a selection of gospel covers of well-known songs by Scottish songwriters and including contributions from Maeve MacKinnon, Horse McDonald, Bruce Watson (guitarist)
, Mary Ann Kennedy (Scottish singer) and the combined choirs of Lothian and Borders Police
and InChorus. Later that month members of the choir joined members of The Skids
once more for a short acoustic gig ahead of the launch of a DVD featuring live performances from earlier in the year. They were also announced as participants in the 2010 BBC Scotland
Children in Need lineup, where they performed a track from their album alongside cast members of River City
.
The choir again took part in Celtic Connections
in January 2011, this time sharing the bill with Tom Jones (singer)
in a gospel-themed evening. February 2011 saw them join Jill Jackson (singer)
at the launch of her new album "Back to Zero" at The Ferry in Glasgow, closely followed by a week-long residency as the "house choir" on the Breakfast Show on 102.5 Clyde 1
singing live jingles and performing with a number of guests. In June 2011 the choir joined a gig organised by the Scottish Charity Cash for Kids, and performed with Marti Pellow
, and in August made their first trip to Russia as guests of the St Andrews Society to perform with Ricky Ross (musician)
. On 18th November 2011 the choir joined forces with BBC Scotland Talent, includnig Jackie Bird
, to perform a version of "Lean on Me" during a record-breaking evening of fundraising for BBC Children in Need
The choir launched their second album with a performance at the Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow on the 20th November 2011 - a live CD recorded at their previous outing at that venue. The launch gig featured guest appearances by Alan Nimmo and Fraser Speirs, and a performance with Ricky Ross (musician)
of "(When Will You Make) My Telephone Ring". In late November they switched on the Christmas lights in Ayr and Broughty Ferry
- Pudsey's Beautiful Dreamers (2008)
Codeine Velvet Club (album)
- Codeine Velvet Club (2009) - Tracks 3 and 4 ("Time" and "The Black Roses")
The Living Years - B.A. Robertson (2009)
Deep Fried Gospel - The Gospel Truth Choir (2010)
Live from Grand Central - The Gospel Truth Choir (2011)
).
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
choir that perform a wide variety of music in a gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
style. Originally formed by a group of friends in 2007 for the wedding of BAFTA winning composer Paul Leonard-Morgan
Paul Leonard-Morgan
Christopher Paul Leonard-Morgan is a Scottish composer, particularly known for his work in scoring for television and film. He won a BAFTA award for his first film score, for the movie Pineapple. He was nominated for a BAFTA and an Ivor Novello award for his score to the ITV drama Fallen. He...
, they also regularly perform backing vocals in studio and on stage - as well as being a feature of many wedding ceremonies.
Career
The Gospel Truth Choir first came to wider public attention when they were asked by Scots songwriter B.A. Robertson to perform vocals on the 2008 version of his football anthem "We Have a DreamWe Have A Dream
We Have A Dream was a special single released as the official song of the Scotland national football team for their 1982 World Cup Campaign.-2008 version:It was re-released in 2008 featuring a host of celebrities...
" - which became the charity single for the BBC Scotland Children in Need campaign. the The recording featured a number of celebrities, including Samuel L Jackson, Ashley Jensen
Ashley Jensen
Ashley Jensen is a Scottish actress who is best known for her roles in the television series Extras for which she was nominated for an Emmy, and ABC's Ugly Betty...
, Dougray Scott
Dougray Scott
-Early life:The son of Elma, a nurse, and Alan Scott, an actor and salesperson, Stephen Dougray Scott was born in Glenrothes, Fife and attended Auchmuty High School...
, Billy Boyd, Chris Hoy
Chris Hoy
Sir Christopher Andrew "Chris" Hoy, MBE is a Scottish track cyclist representing Great Britain and Scotland. He is a multiple world champion and Olympic Games gold medal winner...
, Ally McCoist
Ally McCoist
Alistair Murdoch "Ally" McCoist, MBE ; 24 September 1962) is a Scottish football manager and former player. He is the current manager of Rangers in Scotland....
, Fred MacAulay, Karen Dunbar
Karen Dunbar
Karen Dunbar is a Scottish comedienne and entertainer.-Early life:She first came to the attention of mainstream audiences in the BBC Scotland comedy series Chewin' the Fat and subsequently was given her own show by the channel, The Karen Dunbar Show.Prior to mainstream success, Karen, an out...
, Elaine C Smith and John Gordon Sinclair
John Gordon Sinclair
John Gordon Sinclair is a Scottish actor most famous for playing Gregory in Gregory's Girl. He was born as Gordon John but took the stage name 'John Gordon Sinclair' because Equity already had a Gordon John registered....
, who were all featured on a part live / part-recorded version alongside B.A. Robertson and Edwyn Collins
Edwyn Collins
Edwyn Stephen Collins is an Ivor Novello Award winning Scottish musician, playing mostly electric guitar-driven pop. Collins formed the musical group Nu-Sonics in 1976, which later became Orange Juice...
on the live BBC Scotland Children in Need show.
Following the BBC appearance, B.A. Robertson invited the choir to join him at Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
, where they recorded backing vocals on a number of tracks written by the Glaswegian songwriter, including The Living Years (song)
The Living Years (song)
"The Living Years" was written by Mike Rutherford and B. A. Robertson, and recorded by Rutherford's English rock band Mike + The Mechanics. It was released in January 1989 as the second single from their album, Living Years. The song was a top ten chart hit around the world. It peaked at number one...
- marking the start of an ongoing relationship between choir and songwriter.
2009 saw the choir contribute vocals to two tracks on the debut album of Codeine Velvet Club
Codeine Velvet Club
Codeine Velvet Club was a Scottish alternative rock band formed in 2008 by Lou Hickey and Jon Lawler. The band's debut album Codeine Velvet Club was released on 28 December 2009 in the UK and on 6 April 2010 in the US....
, a Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
band featuring Jon Lawler of The Fratellis
The Fratellis
The Fratellis were an indie rock band from Glasgow, Scotland. The band consisted of lead vocalist and guitarist Jon Fratelli , bass guitarist Barry Fratelli , and drummer and backing vocalist Mince Fratelli .The band released 2 albums during their career, Costello Music in 2006 and Here We Stand in...
. This album was released in the UK in 2009 and the US in 2010. In late 2009 the choir joined The Skids
The Skids
Skids were an art-punk/punk rock and new wave band from Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland, founded in 1977 by Stuart Adamson , William Simpson , Thomas Kellichan and Richard Jobson...
onstage during their performance at "Homecoming Live" - a celebration of Scottish music held at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre
Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre
The Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre , located on the north bank of the River Clyde, in Glasgow, is Scotland's largest exhibition centre....
in Glasgow to celebrate the end of Scotland's year of homecoming.
In January 2010 the choir made a number of appearances around the Celtic Connections
Celtic Connections
The Celtic Connections festival started in 1994 in Glasgow, Scotland, and has since been held every January. Featuring over 300 concerts, ceilidhs, talks, free events, late night sessions and workshops, the festival focuses on the roots of traditional Scottish music and also features international...
festival. Most notably, they contributed to "A Scottish Songbook" - a concert at Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall which featured a number of acts performing songs by Scots songwriters. As well as reprising "The Living Years" with B.A. Robertson, the choir sang with Ricky Ross (musician)
Ricky Ross (musician)
Ricky Ross, born Richard Alexander Ross is a Scottish singer-songwriter and broadcaster, most famously for his work with the rock band, Deacon Blue.-Biography:...
, Lorraine McIntosh
Lorraine McIntosh
Lorraine McIntosh is the female vocalist, with the Scottish pop band, Deacon Blue, and is married to lead singer Ricky Ross. They have three children...
, Karine Polwart
Karine Polwart
Karine Polwart is a Scottish singer-songwriter. She writes and performs music with a strong folk and roots feel, her songs dealing with a variety of issues from alcoholism to genocide...
, Siobhan Boyle and Maeve Mackinnon, to a sell-out audience of 2500 people. Later in the festival the choir performed a full concert with Glasgow artist Horse McDonald at City Halls in Glasgow.
February 2010 saw the choir join Paul Carrack
Paul Carrack
Paul Carrack is an English singer, songwriter and musician. Carrack has been a member of several bands including Ace, Squeeze, Mike + The Mechanics, and Roxy Music, been a session and touring musician for several others including Nick Lowe, and has enjoyed success as a solo artist as well...
on stage at Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall to perform on his version of The Living Years (song)
The Living Years (song)
"The Living Years" was written by Mike Rutherford and B. A. Robertson, and recorded by Rutherford's English rock band Mike + The Mechanics. It was released in January 1989 as the second single from their album, Living Years. The song was a top ten chart hit around the world. It peaked at number one...
.Later the same month, the group appeared live on on STV's news magazine show The Hour performing a version of Amazing Grace. In March, members of the choir rejoined The Skids
The Skids
Skids were an art-punk/punk rock and new wave band from Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland, founded in 1977 by Stuart Adamson , William Simpson , Thomas Kellichan and Richard Jobson...
for two sold-out shows in Glasgow and Dunfermline.
In October 2010 the choir released their debut album, "Deep Fried Gospel", a selection of gospel covers of well-known songs by Scottish songwriters and including contributions from Maeve MacKinnon, Horse McDonald, Bruce Watson (guitarist)
Bruce Watson (guitarist)
Bruce Watson is a Canadian-born Scottish guitarist, best known for being a founding member of the Scottish-based rock band Big Country....
, Mary Ann Kennedy (Scottish singer) and the combined choirs of Lothian and Borders Police
Lothian and Borders Police
Lothian and Borders Police is the territorial police force for the Scottish council areas of the City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian, Scottish Borders and West Lothian...
and InChorus. Later that month members of the choir joined members of The Skids
The Skids
Skids were an art-punk/punk rock and new wave band from Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland, founded in 1977 by Stuart Adamson , William Simpson , Thomas Kellichan and Richard Jobson...
once more for a short acoustic gig ahead of the launch of a DVD featuring live performances from earlier in the year. They were also announced as participants in the 2010 BBC Scotland
BBC Scotland
BBC Scotland is a constituent part of the British Broadcasting Corporation, the publicly-funded broadcaster of the United Kingdom. It is, in effect, the national broadcaster for Scotland, having a considerable amount of autonomy from the BBC's London headquarters, and is run by the BBC Trust, who...
Children in Need lineup, where they performed a track from their album alongside cast members of River City
River City
River City is a Scottish television soap opera, first broadcast in Scotland on BBC Scotland on 24 September 2002. River City storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional district of Shieldinch in Glasgow...
.
The choir again took part in Celtic Connections
Celtic Connections
The Celtic Connections festival started in 1994 in Glasgow, Scotland, and has since been held every January. Featuring over 300 concerts, ceilidhs, talks, free events, late night sessions and workshops, the festival focuses on the roots of traditional Scottish music and also features international...
in January 2011, this time sharing the bill with Tom Jones (singer)
Tom Jones (singer)
Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
in a gospel-themed evening. February 2011 saw them join Jill Jackson (singer)
Jill Jackson (singer)
Jill Jackson is a lesbian Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. Her material includes rock, folk and alternative country music.-Career:...
at the launch of her new album "Back to Zero" at The Ferry in Glasgow, closely followed by a week-long residency as the "house choir" on the Breakfast Show on 102.5 Clyde 1
102.5 Clyde 1
102.5 Clyde 1 is a Scottish local radio station that serves Glasgow and West Central Scotland on FM, DAB and online. The station is owned & operated by Bauer Radio and forms part of Bauer's Place Network of stations.- History :...
singing live jingles and performing with a number of guests. In June 2011 the choir joined a gig organised by the Scottish Charity Cash for Kids, and performed with Marti Pellow
Marti Pellow
Marti Pellow has been the lead singer of the Scottish pop group Wet Wet Wet since their formation in 1982. He has also recorded solo material.-Early life:...
, and in August made their first trip to Russia as guests of the St Andrews Society to perform with Ricky Ross (musician)
Ricky Ross (musician)
Ricky Ross, born Richard Alexander Ross is a Scottish singer-songwriter and broadcaster, most famously for his work with the rock band, Deacon Blue.-Biography:...
. On 18th November 2011 the choir joined forces with BBC Scotland Talent, includnig Jackie Bird
Jackie Bird
Jackie Bird is a Scottish journalist and newsreader, working for BBC Scotland.-Career:After working as a reporter for The Sun newspaper, Bird joined Television South in Maidstone as a reporter and presenter for the South East edition of regional news programme Coast to Coast.She has been a main...
, to perform a version of "Lean on Me" during a record-breaking evening of fundraising for BBC Children in Need
The choir launched their second album with a performance at the Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow on the 20th November 2011 - a live CD recorded at their previous outing at that venue. The launch gig featured guest appearances by Alan Nimmo and Fraser Speirs, and a performance with Ricky Ross (musician)
Ricky Ross (musician)
Ricky Ross, born Richard Alexander Ross is a Scottish singer-songwriter and broadcaster, most famously for his work with the rock band, Deacon Blue.-Biography:...
of "(When Will You Make) My Telephone Ring". In late November they switched on the Christmas lights in Ayr and Broughty Ferry
Discography
We Have a DreamWe Have A Dream
We Have A Dream was a special single released as the official song of the Scotland national football team for their 1982 World Cup Campaign.-2008 version:It was re-released in 2008 featuring a host of celebrities...
- Pudsey's Beautiful Dreamers (2008)
Codeine Velvet Club (album)
Codeine Velvet Club (album)
- Personnel :Codeine Velvet Club* Jon Lawler – Guitar, Bass, Vocals* Lou Hickey – VocalsFeaturing* Ross McFarlane - Drums * Affy Ahmad - Drums * Helen MacLeod - Harp...
- Codeine Velvet Club (2009) - Tracks 3 and 4 ("Time" and "The Black Roses")
The Living Years - B.A. Robertson (2009)
Deep Fried Gospel - The Gospel Truth Choir (2010)
Live from Grand Central - The Gospel Truth Choir (2011)
Personnel
The Gospel Truth Choir was founded by Tracey Braithwaite - formerly backing vocalist with Horse McDonald and K.T. Tunstall. The choir draws from a large pool of professional and semi-pro singers in Scotland - many of whom have their own musical careers. Founder members who still regularly perform with the choir include Paul Gilbody, Madaleine Pritchard, Chris Judge and Tom Urie (Big Bob from River CityRiver City
River City is a Scottish television soap opera, first broadcast in Scotland on BBC Scotland on 24 September 2002. River City storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional district of Shieldinch in Glasgow...
).