Gospel Choir has the X Factor

If you were watching ITV closely this Saturday evening you may have seen some familiar faces. Members of the Imperial College Gospel Choir (ICGC) were featured giving it their all, with their best clicks, jazz hands and on Saturday evening’s live edition of The X Factor.

15 members of ICGC and 25 members of King’s College Gospel Choir were recruited to perform with Marcus Collins, one of the X Factor contestants, in his number of the week ‘Higher and Higher’, (originally sung by Jackie Wilson). The performance was crowned the “performance of the night” by Gary Barlow, and Kelly Rowland commented on the energy of the act which could be credited in some respect to the enthusiasm of the choir. Six girls from the joint Imperial/King’s College choir were also selected to feature in Amelia Lily’s performance of the Aretha Franklin song ‘Think’.

One of the X Factor producers commented after the show that the choir was, “The best choir we’ve ever had.” This then led to half the choir spontaneously bursting into tears and wild screeches that almost brought down their porter-cabin dressing room.

The gospel choirs were selected for the show as a result of their involvement in July’s University Gospel Choir of the Year competition, in which both ICGC and King’s College were finalists. In true showbiz fashion the news of the upcoming appearance was very last minute. Members of the choir learnt of their potential TV debut at lunch time on Thursday, and confirmation that they had a place on the show was only received on Friday morning.

The choir spent all day Saturday at the ITV studios in Wembley Park, where they were taught their routine by the show’s choreographers. The rest of the day was spent rehearsing… and discreetly stalking various members of the X Factor team. As evidence on Facebook shows, this was very productive.

Saturday has brought welcome publicity for a thriving and fast growing Imperial society. Christina Crossette-Thambiah, President of ICGC commented that she “never could have dreamed something like this could have happened to ICGC”. Chris Farrell, one of the original members of the choir when it was founded six years ago, said he remembered when the choir was only “ten people gathered round a piano”.

With rumours of the joint choir being called back for the X Factor final, staged live at Wembley Arena on December 11, the sky is the limit and everyone involved is excited about what is to come. However, the choir can be seen in action a little closer to home at their Christmas concert at Holy Trinity church on Prince Consort Road on December 13; tickets are available through the Union website.