Leader

Ingrid Arthur

Singer of “The Weather Girls”, touring with James Last and dedicating her free time to assist in the leadership of the Protestant Faith Fellowship Gospel Choir in Berlin, Germany, Ingrid Arthur is continuing the increase of the 100%-Gospel-Workshop-Berlin, inviting all those, who love to worship HIM through song, to come and learn all there is to know about Gospel! To know more about Ingrid, take a look at her website: www.ingridarthur.com

 

Kenneth Gainey (November 2010 & November 2011)

Kenneth Gainey is a native of Florence, South Carolina, and a current resident of Queens, New York, where he serves as assistant Minister of Music at the Solomon Temple Baptist Church. His introduction to music was listening to his family sing around the house while growing up in the South. Kenneth has shared the stage with such artists as Daryl Coley, Karen Clark-Sheard, Michael Bolton, Dorinda Clark-Cole, Dorothy Norwood and Richard Smallwood.
Kenneth has toured extensively nationally and internationally with Minister Ouida W. Harding and Dr. Gregory Hopkins and has been a featured soloist with the United Missionary Baptist Association based in New York City. Kenneth is an up and coming artist who's unassuming approach to music always catches the listener by surprise, and forces them to focus on the message. From Florence, South Carolina, to Vienne, France, to Orvieto, Italy, Kenneth's inspiring messages of Good News can be heard for all to enjoy. More about Kenneth Gainey: www.myspace.com/kennethgainey.

 

Dr. Gregory H. Hopkins (November 2011)

Gregory Hopkins was born and reared in Philadelphia, PA. He received his bachelors degree in voice from Temple University, master's degree in opera from Curtis Institute of Music and doctoral degree in music from Belford University. Dr. Hopkins has won prizes in competitions including: The Verdi Prize in Busseto, Italy; Outstanding Tenor Award, Mantua, Italy; The Dealy Award and The Opera Index Grant.
As a singer, pianist, organist, choral conductor, teacher and clinician, G. Hopkins has traveled throughout Americas, Europe, Asia and The Middle East, with recent performances including The Cervantino Festival (Mexico), Orvieto Festival (Italy) and Vienne Festival (France).
G. Hopkins serves The National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses as Director of Performances Ministries; The Hampton University Minister's Conference as Recital Co-Coordinator; and Gospel Music Workshop of America as Vocal Consultant to the Men's Department. He has been honored twice to prepare and present musicals for the National Baptist Convention, and was musical director for the NAACP's Centennial Celebration. At Arkansas Baptist College's EC Morris Institute he is Choral Clinicial. For the Million Man March he was selected by Minister Farrakhan to sing immediately following the address.
As an educator, he has served on the faculties of: Community College of Philadelphia; Morgan State University; Westminster Choir College and NY Seminar of the East. Currently he is Assistant Professor of Voice at Howard University.
For nearly a quarter of a century he has been Minister of Music for Harlem's Convent Avenue Baptist Church. He is also Artistic Director for Harlem Opera Theater and Music Director for the Harlem Jubilee Singers and Cocolo Japanese Gospel Choir.
He is a featured artist or more than 5 commercially released CD projects; one of which was nominated for a Grammy.
We are excited and truly honored to welcome Mr. Gregory Hopkins as one of the workshop leaders during the November-Workshop 2011!

 

Nathan De'Shon Myers (March 2010)

Nathan, a Dallas, Texas native, is a former member of the Grammy Award winning Gospel choir "GOD'S PROPERTY". He has collaborated with notable artists such as Kirk Franklin, Myron Williams, Tamela Mann and Kim Burrell. He is currently a full time soloist with the Deutsche Oper Berlin; however, he began his association with vocal music as a choir director. He has directed Gospel choirs around the U.S. for over 17 years. While completing his BM in voice and graduate degree in opera performance, Nathan combined his passion for singing classical music, music education and directing Gospel choirs to become a classical choral conductor. Prior to moving to Berlin, he was a full-time classical choral conductor and educator in the school districts in New York City - Tulsa, Oklahoma and Dallas, Texas. Nathan says he is very excited to join the 100%-Easter-Workshop-Berlin 2010 and guess what... so are we! Thanks, Nathan!
More about Nathan: www.thenathanmyers.com!

 

Jeffrey Bolding (March 2010)

Jeff is not only a singer, nor is he only a director, an arranger, a pianist or an actor, no... as a native of Washington, D.C., Jeff masters all of the mentioned talents and many more. His music ministry is a well blended combination of elements from classical, pop, jazz and Gospel. In January 1996, Jeff Bolding was appointed and currently serves as director of the "Chancel Choir of The Abyssinian Baptist Church" in New York, Harlem. Some may have already met him during the 2008 REACH WEEK in New York with Pastor Terrance Kennedy, founder and director of REACH WEEK.

As a part of numerous organizations, programs and festivals, such as "The Ethiopian Orthodox Church's Millennium Celebration (2007)", "The Vienna Arts Festival (2006)", "The New York World Science Festival (2008)" or the "Science Festival Opening Gala, Lincoln Center, NYC (2009)", to name a few, we are truly honored to have him as a one of the workshop leaders during the 100%-Easter-Workshop-Berlin 2010!

 

 

Ouida W. Harding (November 2007 & 2008 & 2009 & 2010)

Ouida W. Harding is a doctoral student at the “Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies”. She is known for her gifted style of teaching and administering the Word through song. Ouida's passion extends to encourage and unite people to be sensitive to the leading of God's Spirit in life.

Ouida is the founder of the “WATC”, a school for persons interested in the ministry focus of music leadership, and has just completed a Worship Arts Festival tour” in Limon, Costa Rica. Ms. Harding is an Associate Minister at the “Greater Zion Baptist Church”, Bronx New York under the pastoral leadership of Reverend Marshall D. Morton, Sr. and she also completed a “Black Gospel History seminar” during the REACH WEEK 2008 in New York.

 

The Union (Simone Appleby, Kelita Bryant & Leslie Gardner) (November 2009 & November 2011)

"Once in a generation it seems that an event or happening occurs that impacts a discipline in a way that truly leaves a mark. In this generation, the discipline is vocal music and that happening is "The Union".

The members of "The Union", Simone Appleby, Kelita Bryant and Leslie Gardner have forged their voices into a harmonic bend unlike any other. Their signature sound transcends language, generation and ethnic or cultural divides and offers up an enthralling gumbo-like blend of flavors from the arenas of Gospel, jazz, R&B and pop.
Their unique sound can be savored through their renditions of timeless Gospel pieces, patriotic anthems and classics, and through their own original works.

 

Simone Appleby

Simone Appleby , a native of Buffalo, New York, has been singing for over thirty years. She majored in Vocal Arts at the "State University of New York College at Buffalo", and also received twelve years of formal piano training. In addition to singing with "The Union", Simone is a highly regarded musician and choir director.

 

Kelita Bryant

Kelita Bryant has been singing in her native Buffalo for over thirty years. She began in her church "Mt. Zion Church of God, Holiness". Prior to joining "The Union", Kelita was one of the top vocalists in the Buffalo area. She is well known as voice-over talent for commercials and worked for a popular radio station.

 

Leslie Gardner

Leslie Gardner began singing traditional Gospel at "Mt. Zion Church of God, Holiness". Along with eight years of formal training in piano and vocals Leslie received a "Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications". She has been a studio vocalist for over 30 years and has produced and coproduced several projects.

Recordings by "The Union" are:
The Union (1998)
God bless America (2001)

Special appearances:
The Chicago Gospel Festival
U.S. Senator Hilary Clinton Inaugural
National Basketball Association (NBA) Game Openings
National Football Leage (NFL) Game Openings ... and many, many others

Ingrid Arthur and her team are more than glad to welcome these wonderful ladies "The Union" from the United States.
We are so looking forward to sharing our time together. Praise our Father in Heaven with worship and praise!

 

Dorrey Lyles (November 2008 & April 2009 & March 2010)

As a daughter of a Pastor from New Jersey, USA, Ms. Dorrey Lyles is now residing in Berlin and as many of the other leaders and artists, she also grew up with Gospel music. She has toured with the “Harlem Gospel Singers” and is now on tour with the “Very Best of Black Gospel”, it is therefore our pleasure to have Dorrey Lyles as a special appearance at this year 100%-Gospel-Workshop-Berlin and as one of the leaders of the 100% Easter Gospel Workshop 2009.

 

Eddie Dejean (April 2009)

Not only a composer, an arranger, producer, drummer and vocalist ..., but also one of the choir leaders of the Protestant Faith Fellowship Gospel Choir in Berlin. He was raised in closed spiritual harmony by his mother, Rev. Lois J. Dejean, and has performed with numerous artists and talents in the U.S. and in Germany for the past 15 years. Now he looks forward to working together with the 100%-Gospel Choir for the 100% Easter Workshop 2009 bringing forth praises to our LORD through song!

 

Marvin Scott (April 2009)

When you read of "A performer of Distinction" (Washington Post) and that his perfomances are "etched with exquisite emotional delicacy" (Washington Times), this is when Marvin Scott, a young and immaculate tenor, who performs around the world in cities like New York, Los Angeles, Prague, Tokyo, Salzburg and Munich to name a few, comes into views. "I grew up singing Gospel music for most of my life. Even while at the opera house on Friday I was singing in church on Sunday," is what Marvin once said, and if someone grew up singing Gospel and lives the Gospel, well then, how could he not be one of the leaders of the 100% Easter Gospel Workshop 2009? Therefore, it is our great honour to have Marvin as one of our workhshop leaders at our 100% Easter Gospel Workshop and concert 2009! More about Marvin Scott: www.marvinscott.info!

 

Pastor Terrance L. Kennedy (November 2007 & 2008)

Pastor Kennedy is a teacher, preacher, worship leader, composer, director and musician. He has an extensive global ministry, which has spread from the USA to Brazil, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Japan and to Uganda, Africa. Pastor Kennedy is the proud pastor of the "New Hope Community Church, Inc." and "New Hope For The World Ministries, Inc.", Harlem, New York. He also is an alumnus of "City College of New York", where he graduated with the high honors of Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa.

After assisting in leading the 100%-Gospel-Workshop-Berlin 2007 & 2008 at the Protestant Faith Fellowship Church, he also led his own REACH WEEK 2008 & 2009 in New York, where Gospel friends from all over the world, such as Japan, Germany and the United States joined in together.

 

Frankco Harris (November 2008)

Mr. Harris has earned both a B.S. and a M. Ed. in music education from “Alabama A&M”.

In the future, Mr. Harris will work on his Ph. D. in Religious Studies. Mr. Harris is a highly sought after singer and musician cross the country. He enjoys sharing his gifts with others. He has been a very resourceful musical aid to those in his community. He is willing to share his knowledge of music with others. He finds great delight in seeing others grow in the field of gospel music.

Mr. Harris has toured through Europe with the “Golden Gospel Pearls”, singing and performing gospel music for thousands. He is the recipient of “McDonalds Spiritual Fruits”, “Young Male Vocalist of the Year”.

Currently, he is the Dean of Music for the State of New York “Second Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, COGIC”. He serves as the Minister of Music for “Greater Trinity Temple”, Brooklyn, NY. In addition, Mr. Harris also serves as the vocal music teacher for “IS 292 Margaret S. Douglas Middle School”.

Although Mr. Harris has accomplished many things and enjoys so much at his young age… his greatest sense of enjoyment is for people to be “touched” through his gift.