Biography

Delaware's Wilmington Chester Mass Choir is a Grammy Award-nominated and Stellar Award-winning vocal ensemble known for their exuberant and richly arranged gospel harmonies. Formed in 1978 by Reverend Ernest Davis, Jr., the choir (named after its host cities of Wilmington, Delaware and Chester, Pennsylvania) is made up of singers who hail from churches in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. The WCMC made its recorded debut in 1988 with Victory Shall Be Mine, which included their popular song "Ride on King Jesus," featuring vocalist Daryl Coley. In 1990, they returned with He's Preparing Me, which earned the ensemble even more acclaim, spending over a year on Billboard's Top Gospel Albums chart, and garnered the choir their first Stellar Award for Song of the Year. On the heels of their success, they recorded with Patti LaBelle on her 1991 album, Burnin'. With the passing of Davis in 1991, leadership of the WCMC was handed to Reverend Christopher D. Squire, who produced the group's third full-length, Stand Still (Until His Will Is Clear). More well-received albums followed, including 1994's Change Will Come, 1995's Live, and 1997's Fear Not. In 2000, they delivered Hosanna: And They Sing the Word, featuring contributions from Maurette Brown Clark, A. Jeffrey LaValley, and others. The album also earned the choir its first Grammy nomination for Best Gospel Choir or Chorus Album. From there, they followed up with 2001's Live in Concert and 2007's It's Not Over. In 2010, they released He's Been Good, which took home the Stellar Awards for Traditional Choir of Year and Choir of the Year. ~ Matt Collar, Rovi