Kent’s Gospel Choir has won the 11th annual University Gospel Choir of the Year Competition, which took place on Saturday 25 March in London.
University Gospel Choir of the Year (UGCY) is an annual competition that brings together talented individuals through music.
Backed by the Mayor of London and former Higher Education Minister David Lammy, and inspired by the 1993 blockbuster classic ‘Sister Act 2: Back In The Habit’, UGCY is a voluntary organisation providing an unprecedented platform for university gospel choirs across the UK to develop and showcase their gospel musical abilities.
This year’s competition saw eight finalist choirs from Kent, University College London, the BIMM Institute, and the universities of Warwick, Birmingham, Keele, Durham, and Canterbury Christ Church, compete for the coveted crown of University Gospel Choir of the Year. Despite some strong competition it was Kent’s highly talented and gospel-driven community of students who took first place and the 2023 trophy.
Daniel Harding, Kent’s Head of Music Performance, said: ‘My congratulations to everyone in the Choir – this is such a tremendous achievement. The entire team has worked so hard for this and I am absolutely delighted to see them lift the trophy.’
Mr Harding pointed out that the Choir is comprised of students from right across the University. He added: ‘Here at Kent we have a flourishing programme of music, and students from all subjects, together with staff and the local community, have the opportunity to get involved in a wide range of extra-curricular music activities alongside their course of studies.’
More information on the ‘Making Music at Kent’ programme, which includes choral singing, orchestral playing, big band swing, concert band repertoire, string orchestra, musical theatre and more, can be found at the Making Music site.
