Dressed in pure white, 40 members of the LCGC performed a one-hour set on the Main Stage, giving the 100,000-strong Fruitstock crowd a taste of gospel. Set up two to a mic, the Choir was using the EV RE510 super-cardioid vocal mics which it has recently purchased from Shuttlesound, prior to setting off on a tour of European festivals.
Front-of-house engineer Schon Emmanuel is largely responsible for the Choir's investment in 20x RE510s, two of which are wireless, packaged with EV's RE1 receivers. Emmanuel first discovered the potential of the RE510s when working with jazz saxophonist Courtney Pine, and more recently has introduced them to British soul diva Terri Walker. "In fact, the full-bodied sound of the RE510s is a perfect match for the sound of the LCGC," says Emmanuel.
Emmanuel's perfect world would be one singer to one microphone, but with the size of the choir varying dramatically from concert to concert, from a touring party of 12-16 singers, up to 45 at a larger festival, and to full strength of 70 performers, the singers have to share. However he is full of praise for the off-axis pick-up of the RE510. "The gain before feedback is superb. The large-diaphragm condenser picks up everything I need, not too much of the band, just the singers.
"The mic is particularly good at capturing the vocal qualities of the different lead singers, from the real belters who hammer the mic, to the very quiet ones; it picks up all the detail without maxing out my gain stages and creating feedback. It's especially good on Bazil's vocals, bringing out the complex characteristics of his voice. We've done A/B comparisons and the RE510 just blows the alternatives out of the water."
Working with the LCGC, Schon Emmanuel is usually to be found in front of a Midas XL4 or a Heritage 3000 analogue mixing console. "My mixes are quite busy, with two principals, 16 singers and a full 5-piece band. I use the wireless RE510s with complete confidence. I never have to worry about my RF status; a quick channel scan gives me a clear band that is rock-solid. All the switches on the RE510s are internal so they are quite idiot-proof, no one can inadvertently change the settings. Overall, these mics take care of the major part of what I do, which is get the choir over the band; they're versatile enough for acoustic piano, but on vocals, they're absolutely perfect."
The LCGC is touring in Europe at the end of this summer, playing festival dates in Spain, France and Poland. They'll be back in London in October.
Founded by Revd. Bazil Meade in 1982, the London Community Gospel Choir was the first concert gospel choir to be formed in Britain. Whether they are performing as an octet or a 30-strong choir, the LCGC is known for its trademarks of funky gospel flair, swing-beat, R'n'B, traditional and soulful arrangements, with invigorating choreography and vocal gymnastics.
(Chris Henry)
