UVI provides extraordinary pathways for intellectual, creative and cultural enrichment. The performances by this extraordinary choir are a true testament to the myriad of abilities possessed by the institution’s students, the vision of its administration and undeniable place the university holds in this community’s halls of history.

Croydon SDA Gospel Choir

The Croydon Seventh-Day Adventist Gospel Choir began life as a non-auditioned church youth choir in 1979. Its performances were mostly in services at its south London church Croydon, and occasional small scale concerts.

In the nineties, the choir entered the Choir of The Year competition, sponsored by Sainsbury’s at the time, and televised as a six-part series on BBC2. It was a quarter finalist 1992, and ended up as one of three finalist in 1994, along with its ‘sister’ choir, the London Adventist Chorale, which won the competition and the Gospel Choir being runners-up that same year.

The Gospel Choir’s popularity swiftly grew due to its originality, diversity and innovative approach to gospel: it sings a variety of genres of music, and often fuses genres. On occasions, it uses creative ways of presenting songs, including interacting with moving images, and surrounding the audience. It has appeared on numerous television programmes including BBC Songs of Praise. It was part of an innovative live BBC television programme, Flashmob: The Opera, which was broadcast live from Paddington Station, and also appeared in two episodes of BBC Eastenders, where it was actually part of a story line. The choir has performed across the continent and the US.

In 2015, it performed at the 70-000 seater Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas as part of the quinquennial world-wide conference of Seventh-Day Adventist. It has recorded several projects, many under its own imprint CGC Music, but also recorded with record label MCI an international commercial release The Very Best of Gospel. This album was featured on the BBC TV series, Paradise Heights. The choir’s repertoire is a strong reflect on of each member’s personal faith. Find out more at: www.croydonsdagospelchoir.co.uk

Croydon Youth Choir

Croydon Youth Choir have been established for over 15 years. They have an age range of 15-26, with members from all over London. They are one of the resident choirs of the Croydon Seventh-day Adventist Church. The choir is  led by Christelle Clements-Davis, a former member of the choir. They have sung at many different events including, The Southbank Festival, Jamaican Independence Day, the Adventist Youth Congress in Valencia, Spain, the Good Friday Walk of Witness and many more. They have also hosted a number of events including Bring & Sing, a workshop for musicians and singers to develop their skills and meet other artists. They are currently working on recording a single for Rhodri’s Cancer Foundation as well as preparing for events in the Midlands and elsewhere.