Imagine a steamy, hot summer day in a church with no air conditioning. Fans are humming. Bottles of water are distributed to audience members in various stages of stickiness.
Eighteen singers, the bass guitarist, drummer, keyboard player and choir director are warming up. The lights dim, a hush comes over the audience, brief introductions are made and the music begins.
Suddenly, the heat becomes irrelevant. A wall of wonderful sound washes over the audience. Large smiles form on faces. Some are moved to tears, clearly touched by the strength and beauty of these voices.
Bretta Alexander-Nelson is at the helm of this moving gospel music experience. As the director of the United Deliverance Temple Mass Choir (UDT), she is in her element, calling forth her natural talent and learned skills to create a lasting impression on the audience.
Alexander-Nelson’s natural talent was nurtured, first, by her mom. “She encouraged every single musical interest I had,” said Alexander-Nelson. “But I didn’t want to take piano or voice lessons. I wanted to hear music – just hear it.” And so she was encouraged to join her first church choir, at age five. Young Bretta listened carefully and immediately found she could hear and sing the soprano and alto lines. People looked to her for musical guidance, even at that young age.
Her talent was recognized and cultivated, in turn, by every choir director she sang with including Bob White, James Berry, Carlton Wright, Thom West, Dwayne Hill, “and my dad…if it wasn’t for all those directors, I simply wouldn’t be where I am today.”
After two unsuccessful attempts at directing choirs in her early 20s, she tried again at age 30. “I had a fire, a desire, a passion, to do it again. I’d learned more about people, and I had more patience.” This time it worked. The UDT choir has been going straight uphill since their first rehearsal.
Alexander-Nelson is acquiring more musical knowledge now, too. She’s gone back to college to earn a church music degree at North Central University and is studying piano at Camden Music School this fall. “I move ahead with diligence. And it’s so cool to have people moving with me.”
The goal of her musical activities? “Music is a powerful healing agent,” said Alexander-Nelson. “It can bring life and vitality to people. It can bring deliverance and hope.” She added, “What comes from the heart, reaches the heart. It’s not just about sounding good, but rather reaching the heart of the people and making a difference.”
The United Deliverance Temple Mass Choir, under Alexander-Nelson’s direction, also features Thom West on keyboard, Cecil Nelson on bass, and Blayr Alexander on drums. Hear the choir at 2 p.m. every Sunday at 3210 Oliver Avenue North (home of UDT and Christ English Lutheran Church). The choir is performing regularly at other events and plans to record a live CD in January of ’07. For info and MP3 samples from their CD project, The Best Is Yet to Come: www.udtministries.org/cdpage.htm or 612-327-6306.