History of L.A. Davies Chorale: Shiloh Baptist Church (Old Site), Fredericksburg, Virginia

Click here to hear excerpts from a traditional spiritual sung as a choir processional during the 11:00 a.m. service on September 3, 2006: "Children of God,

keep on marchin',

for one of these days,

we shall be free..."

(MP3 format)

Featured voices are the Senior Choir and Men's Choir of Shiloh Baptist Church (Old Site), with the Rev. Ronald Cooper singing the lead

Shiloh Old Site's Music Ministries

History of the L.A. Davies Chorale

In late 1983, a small group of church members met to discuss the feasibility of forming a choir to bring a different perspective to the genre of church music at Shiloh Old Site.

There was much enthusiasm, and Dr. Gilbert Coleman, who was already involved with other choirs, found time in his busy schedule to work with the new group while still maintaining his existing commitments.

Shortly thereafter, Mr. Russell Maclin, who had relocated to the area after retiring as a music teacher in Connecticut, became the pianist/director, which allowed Dr. Coleman to continue working with the Young Adult Choir and Men's Chorus.

The group rehearsed weekly for a year under the stern but effective tutelage of Mr. Maclin, who stressed the proper dynamics of choral singing.

The resulting ensemble made its debut at a Shiloh Old Site worship service on the fifth Sunday in January 1985. During that service, the group surprised the pastor by publicly announcing that it had decided to name itself the L.A. Davies Chorale in honor of the church's pastor.

The late Mr. Emory Turner served as the chorale's first president. Since that time, the chorale has become the official singing group for every fifth Sunday at the 11 a.m. worship service. In addition, the chorale has made appearances in many other locations, including the Sheraton Convention Center (now Holiday Inn Select), Lake of the Woods, Hampton Inn, area nursing homes, and at several churches in the Fredericksburg area. It also sings at various special programs at Shiloh Old Site.

In 1987, Mr. Maclin resigned his position. Dr. Coleman came to the rescue, and the chorale continued to perform and grow under his leadership. In 1997, Mr. John Easley, a long-time member of Shiloh Old Site and a highly respected area musician, became the group's director, while Dr. Coleman focused exclusively on accompaniment.

There is an "open door" policy on membership in the chorale. Anyone interested in singing anthems, spirituals, hymns, and gospel songs in disciplined four-part harmony is welcome. Rehearsals are normally held on Tuesday evenings.

For audio and visual clips from the chorale, click here.

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