The Voices of Inspiration Community Choir performs to spiritually uplift and inspire the community.
The 45-voice group includes University of the Virgin Island students, alumni, staff and community members,
Choir member Sharmaine Williams-Stapleton, UVI alumni and continuing education student, said during these hard times on St. Croix it is an awesome feeling to be able to minister to the community through singing.
“The choir sings to bring blessings and to uplift the people in the community,” Williams-Stapleton said.
The choir sings at prayer breakfasts, events at the hospital, the Relay for Life, UVI Commencement and ceremonies and private and political events. The choir is billed as family-entertainment for all ages and all musical tastes.
Wyndi Ambrose, a UVI alumni and a PK – or "preacher’s kid" – said worship through song goes with the territory and her background.
“God gave us our talents,” Ambrose said. “We can worship God in a variety of styles. I love to sing in praise.”
She added she is blessed to have the opportunity to work with so many talented singers.
The choir recently traveled to St. Thomas and put on a show the day before Easter at the Reichhold Center. Reichhold marketing director Ian Turnbull had nothing but praise for the choir.
“The performance by the Voices of Inspiration was very good,” Turnbull said. “I’m usually very busy during a show, but I actually got a chance to listen backstage and enjoy the show. I really enjoyed all the different genres they covered. They pulled it off.”
Josephine Thomas-Lewis, choir director, has an amazing, strong voice that can hit high and low notes. During a recent choir rehearsal, she said her singing is a God-given talent.
Thomas-Lewis, a St. Thomian, said she grew up singing praises to God. She attended the Seventh-day Adventist School and Church and attended Medgar Evers College in New York and the University of the Virgin Islands St. Thomas campus. She is the owner of Media One Productions, a video and music production company.
Choir participation is a credited class for registered students enrolled in Music 242. They practice every Tuesday and Thursday evening in the Great Hall at UVI. Thomas-Lewis said they don’t audition singers. She is happy to give lessons to get the students up to standard.
“When they get it and come around, it lifts their spirit,” Thomas-Lewis said.
Felicia Emmanuel, a junior communications major, said she always sang at home and had some training, but when she joined the UVI choir she really started to gain confidence performing.
Thomas-Lewis said she wants to inspire and lead the choir to its next level of development. She hopes to travel more with the choir and get more exposure on different stages and then someday compete.
Thomas-Lewis provided background information on the start of the choir.
In 1999 a group of resident assistants and residential students sought an outlet to express their musical talents. They came together to sing and for fellowship. They were the first Residence Hall Choir. This expression of students’ talents, skills, and desires would be called the “Voices of Inspiration.”
As the original students graduated the choir became dormant. “Inspiration” resurfaced to bring comfort and cause to a group of students who responded to the tragedy which occurred in Haiti in 2010. Nereida Washington, who was then campus executive administrator, suggested using music to respond to the hurt and pain of the extended global community. They have continued to perform since then for the campus’ student programs and local houses of faith.
