Verizon Wireless sponsors a national gospel choir contest called “How Sweet the Sound,“ and Atlanta West Pentecostal Church, pastored by Bro. Darrell Johns, won the “People’s Choice Award” among the top three finalists. (This gave them a $5,000 payday that they hope to use toward making a CD.)
They had qualified by winning the Atlanta region, a few weeks back. On their regional win, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution said:
“The spirit of the music took the singers and listeners to that rare place religious music strives to find, a state where the curtain between this world and the other gets pulled back for a moment and spirits merge in spontaneous joy.
The sound, the emotion the singers expressed, even the racial mix of black, white and tan faces that is rare for churches, made them something special, Condrey said.“
The Finals
On Saturday, November 8, 2008, the Atlanta West Pentecostal Church dueled with 11 of the best choirs in the country, and ended up in the Top 3. Although the Acme Missionary Baptist Church of Chicago ended up tops, Atlanta West won the People’s Choice Award.
