The kids rejoice with Marshall after receiving their gold medals. One choir member says, "We came together as one voice, one vision."

During the Gospel & Spiritual competition, the kids perform with unity and passion. They're the defending grand champions in this category.

The kids befriend and console a Hong Kong choir that was left out of the Champions Concert in China. They plan to reunite in Cincinnati.

"To see young people commit to something and get rewards from that commitment – that’s incredible," says Marshall, of his dedicated team.

The Brighton Collectibles in Fort Wayne chose to support Voices of Unity, since Marshall's wife, Cindy, has been a longtime friend and customer.

Singing Praises

(Continued from Page 1)

Though exhausted by their ever-changing schedule and long practices, the group achieves a transcendent unity in China. During a long rehearsal, TiErika Hunt looks around at her fellow, tired choir members and feels their strong connection. “We got in the moment,” she says, “We came together as one voice, one vision.”

That unity shines through in the competition, as they sing their hearts out with discipline and passion. Lori is sitting in the last row of the venue, holding an American flag. “They nailed it,” she thinks, standing and waving proudly as they finish their program.

Lori had asked her friend, Kim Mann, to be on the local music advisory committee for the World Choir Games. An accomplished music teacher and conductor, Kim had also collaborated with Lori at the Embassy Theater and knew Marshall from both working in the arts in Fort Wayne. In China, Kim performs with the SingCinnati choir from Cincinnati, competing with Voices of Unity in the Gospel & Spiritual and Popular Choral Music categories.

They all wish each other luck and wait anxiously for the judges to score their performances. Some of the kids are almost vibrating with anticipation. In an unbelievable turn of events, Voices of Unity wins the gold in both categories and SingCinnati wins silver.

See video

After winning the gold in Gospel & Spiritual, the Voices of Unity tearfully sing the national anthem.

Pandemonium ensues. Both choirs rush to the stage, screaming, hugging and crying. They receive their medals and take in the breathless moment, when the American flag is raised and national anthem played. Through their tears the kids sing the anthem with a joy and pride they’ve never experienced before.

Yet if Marshall’s mission is to build leadership and character through his arts program, the kids show him just how much he has succeeded after the Champions Concert. By mistake, the champion choir from Hong Kong isn’t called on stage to perform their program. The officials from the games are mortified when they discover the choir backstage, upset and heartbroken, after the concert. When the Voices of Unity realize what has happened, they bring the Hong Kong choir out onto the stage that the crew has already started to dismantle. The kids ask the other group to sing for them. As the Hong Kong choir begins its program, with Voices of Unity as its audience, the technical director instructs his crew to stop dismantling the set and unpack their video cameras to capture the moment of bitter tears turning into grateful smiles.

The two choirs have remained friends ever since, communicating via Facebook. They hope to have a reunion concert at the games in Cincinnati.

Fundraising for the 2012 games has been a lot easier, now that Voices of Unity is a defending grand champion. Big donors no longer react skeptically. Also, it so happens that Brighton Collectibles initiated a promotion in June to support children’s arts programs through the sale of a new bracelet. Each Brighton store selects a local charity to support with 50% of those sales. Since Marshall’s wife, Cindy, has been a loyal customer of the Jefferson Pointe store for more than a decade, that Fort Wayne store naturally chose to donate to Voices of Unity. Lori and Kim also wear Brighton, with Kim buying five bracelets to support Marshall’s group.

After competing against Voices of Unity in 2010, Kim directs the group this year, as it and two other choirs sing backup to Kirk Franklin in the opening ceremony. The kids also perform at other celebratory events, since they became such stars during the last games.

With 175 American choirs participating in the games this year, they also face much greater competition. Marshall keeps the experience in perspective. “Whether we win gold or not, I’m glad they get a chance to learn from other groups and make friends with other choirs. It gives our students an opportunity to grow and improve. That’s bigger than winning gold. To see young people commit to something and get rewards from that commitment – that’s incredible.”

Whatever happens, Voices of Unity has already shown the world it has hearts of gold.   Brighton Living

UPDATE 7/14/12: At the 2012 World Choir Games, Voices of Unity won gold medals in both its categories: Gospel and Popular Choral Music. They also had a happy reunion with their friends from Hong Kong choir.

Return to Facebook >>