By Sheilah Belle
(In picture: Roger Cox singing lead on “Living Testimony” with Minister James Johnson & The Voices of Cedar Street)
Richmond, VA — Over the weekend, the senior pastor of Cedar Street Baptist Church, Dr. Anthony M. Chandler, the Minister of Music, James “Maestro” Johnson and the Voices of Cedar Street, celebrated the release of their debut CD with the taping of a DVD, special guests and a filled to capacity church sanctuary.
Speaking to the crowd, Pastor Chandler said, “Out of the 14 songs that are on the new CD, 13 of the songs were written by Minister James Johnson.” His comments were received with applause.
The evening opened with prayer, praise and worship which really set the tone for the evening and comments from musical genius David Frazier who addressed the crowd on instructions on what to do during the DVD taping.
Co-hosting the evening and introducing, the special featured guests were The Belle and Cavell Phillips.
Minister James Johnson & The Voices of Cedar Street marched into the sanctuary from the rear center of the church with applause meeting their every step. Dressed in purple and charcoal gray, they were stunning as they marched to their seats into the choir loft after months and months of choir rehearsals.
Singing the first solo for the evening and the title cut of the CD was First Lady Teleshia Chandler. Her soprano vocals were strong and pleasant to the ear and her love for the Lord was evident.
Also delivering solo performances for the evening were Pastor Kervy Brown, Alicia Peters, Stanley Edwards, Jonathan L. Coleman, Roger Cox, Lisa Wynn, Eva Hurte, Torre Siler, Nyibe Cousins-Flythe, Patrice Crenshaw, Joy N. Whitaker and the Voices of CSBC Youth.
Amazingly each song delivered something different, but never short changing, God’s presence.
Bringing everyone to their feet was Roger Cox. Known for singing with the popular Virginia Choral Ensemble, Minister Johnson said, when he was first introduced to the seasoned group, he was overwhelmed to see such a strong gathering of talent, and had to have their presence on the CD. As a result, Cox was invited to sing the lead on “Living Testimony” and did a phenomenal job.
Also bringing the crowd to their feet was Pastor Kervy Brown, who was simply amazing with his energy and tenor voice. >From shouting praises to the Lord, to delivering incredible vocals, he was truly a blessing to the body of Christ!
Before the last song was performed, Minister Johnson with tears flowing down his face, thanked his parents and extended family members for their support over the years.
Simply, Minister James Johnson did his homework on this project! His selection of music, soloists, band members and support team made this project a success. Moreso his love for the Lord and the people of God truly shined through.
Well done Minister Johnson for your vision, hard work, sweat and tears!
Courtesy of thebellereport.net
