Several Boston-area private schools gathered Saturday, April 11 for the 14th Annual Gospel Fest, where students learned Lift Every Voice, as well as three additional songs—each by a different choir director.

This year, Milton Academy hosted Brimmer and May, Nobles and Greenough School, CATS Academy Boston, and the Groton School. Dana Hall’s Director of Choral Music David Coleman once again led the event, which began at 1:00 p.m.

After a brief introduction to Gospel singing, students broke into vocal parts to learn Stranger, He’s Worthy, and Ride On King Jesus.

“It is a really unique thing. You never really get the opportunity to gather together with complete strangers and sing songs with them. It almost surreal,” says Zach Rocklin-Waltch ’17, who has attended Gospel Fest for the past two years.

After a pizza dinner, the schools reconvened to perform the new songs, along with previously prepared pieces. Greenline performed No Rocks are Crying and Walk Together Children. Brimmer and May students  energized the crowd by clapping and stomping to other school’s performances.

“The energy was so contagious,” says Greenline soprano Olivia Malmstrom’16. “Everyone was happy to be there. It was so much fun with everyone praising the Lord, and basking in God’s light,” she said.

Brimmer and May students were pleasantly surprised when Jeanne Segal, the School’s former music director who now works at CATS Academy, sang with the choir. Rocklin-Waltch’17 summarizes the night as “pure fun.”