The Grammy Award winning Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir wowed a billion people around the globe when it belted out “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” at President Barack Obama’s second inaugural swearing-in ceremony in January. Over 800,000 people on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol witnessed the dynamic ensemble up close and personal and the other billion watched from their home TV screens.
The New York Times called it a “stirring moment” and NBC News anchor Brian Williams remarked on-air, “Probably not the most artful phrase, but the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir just killed it." Even in the home of the iconic Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Salt Lake Tribune newspaper columnist Peg McEntee wrote, “That choir, not ours, then set off into the most beautiful rendition of `The Battle Hymn of the Republic’ I’ve ever heard.”
That soul-stirring rendition of the patriotic hymn is featured on The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir’s 27th album, “Love Lead the Way,” which hits iTunes, www.brooklyntabernacle.org and other digital platforms on April 9. The physical CD is scheduled for a May 7 release.
The fifteen song set was produced by choir founder Carol Cymbala and music director Jason Michael Webb. The album boasts the majestic orchestrations that have become the choir’s trademark. Their in-house team of writers composed most of the songs. There are soul-stirring ballads such as “Faithful to the End” and “Breathe,” as well as, up-tempo tracks like the title song and the rock-edged “Let Your Kingdom Come.” They also feature full-throttle hand-clappers such as “The Man” and “Working It Out.” The set is rounded out with new renditions of William McDowell’s #1 hit “I Won’t Go Back” and Preashea Hilliard’s “Oh, How We Love You.”
The 300-voice choir is a blend of ethnic and economic backgrounds, with members ranging from lawyers and doctors to former drug addicts. Over the years, the choir has performed at major venues such as Radio City Music Hall and Madison Square Garden. They have appeared on “Good Morning America” and other national television programs. Their amazing legacy includes six Grammy Awards, seven Dove Awards, two #1 Billboard charting CDs and over four million albums sold
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