New York Unity Choir Celebrates 30 Year Anniversary With Concert

By Journalist Dr. Ms. Jones

NEWBURGH – “I [can’t] believe that [it’s been] 30 years”… That’s what was heard on Saturday, October 26th when New York Unity Choir held its 30th Anniversary Reunion Concert at The Cathedral at the House of Refuge International Ministries. The celebration was organized by Bishop Jeffery C. Woody, founder of the choir. It also included Restoration Choir. Bishop Woody used social media to find, communicate, and send songs to choir members.

“I’m just grateful that the community is supporting. When we recorded the first CD, there were about 800 people in NFA’s auditorium. That was a blessing. Now people are coming back together [after] 30 years and the church was packed. So, that’s community support,” said Bishop Woody who started the legacy with The Northeast College Song Fest. “I started that… in ’88… What that consisted of was we would invite college gospel choirs from New Jersey, from Connecticut, from upstate, and we’d come together at NFA on a Friday night [and] have workshops… Then Saturday morning, we’d come back again, have rehearsal, and then we’d have a concert at night. We did that for several years… Then we went to New York Unity [Choir]… That was in‘94.That was from all over the Hudson Valley, Kingston, Poughkeepsie, Beacon, Middletown and primarily from Newburgh High School, students from NFA. We rehearsed and rehearsed. Then we did the recording at NFA… [The CD was called] “Let’s Be One”… Then after [New York] Unity, in 2005, we did Restoration [Choir]. So, I started having Restoration Conference. Part of the conference was the choir… Then we just decided to record… [That CD was called] “The Lord Be Praised.’”

Songbird Anita Johnson lead praise and worship. Superintendent Edward Barnes emceed the concert. Violinist Priya DeBerry played. Choir members came from all over the world to participate. Elder Natasha Durrell Johnson came from Tennessee. Bishop Corey Lipscomb came from Washington, DC. Powerhouse Vocalist Onita Boone flew in from Germany.

“It’s home… I sing a lot for a lot of audiences and people and faces. It’s just an honor to come home and sing for people you actually do know and who know who you are. They know your history. It’s wonderful,” said Boone. “Jeffrey asked [me to come back]… People don’t ask. They think I’m so unreachable. But he asked, and I was like, ‘Yeah!’”
Bishop W. Andrew Best, Jr. came from Maryland to play the keyboard for the concert. He was a part of the New York Unity recording.

“It’s good to see everybody 30 years later. Some people that were part of the choir are not here anymore. They passed on. So, just to be in the land of the living and be able to see people, and it’s not a funeral, and see how everyone is doing, see how we’ve all grayed and lost hair. It’s good to see everybody that’s here for a joyous occasion,” said Bishop Best.
Bishop Woody was honored for his work with the choirs. He also presented awards to the families in memoriam of choir members that passed.

“I just wanted to humbly thank everybody for remembering my sister… It means a lot that people that have passed on are not forgotten,” said Elleshia Newkirk, whose sister Charessa Newkirk sang with the choir. “She was part of the debutants. She was on the Dean’s List every semester. She had a masters degree in psychology from Long Island University.”
Melina West was also grateful that her sister was remembered. She reminisced about her work in the community.

“She was a strong pillar in the community. She worked with the youth in the community, and she worked with the Mount Carmel Church of Christ, and this choir,” said West. “She was a loving mother [and] loving wife.”

What are the future plans for the choir? Touring? More reunions?

“We’re not gonna have a 30 [year] reunion. If we do [have another reunion, it will be] 10 years from now, but not 30 years… It’s really just something to come together and have a good time,” said Bishop Woody who is open to choir performances and pressed up some CDs for people to purchase.

Journalist Ms. Jones