It was love at first sight. The streets, the feel, the vibe, I stayed at a dingy little hotel in the French Quarter, the Andrew Jackson, my room stank of weed, every morning I had breakfast at the Clover Grill Diner before heading to work. In the mid-90s I went to New Orleans two years in a row for a conference. I do not remember much about the conferences, but New Orleans stayed in my heart. But I was not new to New Orleans, for years I had listened to its music, its magical, powerful, beautiful music which my dad loved and played constantly. As a result of this, I got hooked on the New Orleans sound, listening to Branford and Wynton Marsalis, Harry Connick Jr., Jon Batiste and so many more.

The other day I saw a poster for a Gospel Choir concert in Madrid, and Celia and I immediately invited my niece and my nephew to the concert.

It was a blast! The brass marched into the hall playing a beautiful version of “Just a Closer Walk with Thee” which I know and love from Van Morrison’s version, then the rest of the band walked in and ignited the crowd with their rhythm and energy. “What a Wonderful World” was nice, but nobody can come close to Louis Armstrong on that one. At the end we got the classic: “Oh Happy Day.” For the grand finale: “When the Saints Come Marching in.” The normally conservative Madrid crowd was all standing and dancing! What a show!

Richard Rohr writes in his daily reflection about this music:

“worship in the Black church can create a communal contemplative experience”

CAC faculty member Barbara Holmes

My niece and nephew enjoyed it. I loved traveling back to my dear New Orleans, as I had not been there since the start of this blog in 2011 (check it out here) when I applied for my PhD in Tulane.

Here is a clip of the amazing New Orleans Gospel Stars, enjoy: