Hallelujah!

WHEN WALT CUNNINGHAM made his first appearance as ensemble conductor of the Dartmouth College Gospel Choir last fall, was so hoarse he had trouble vocalizing even a few proud "amens." His voice was shot from the exhausting combination of reinvigorating the choir while also working as assistant director of recruiting for Tucks admissions office. Cunninghams dual role might be daunting for most people, but the 1987 West Point graduate and former corporate executive—who previously led the Chicago-based New International Version of Praise community chorus—is up to the challenge.

"He's totally rejuvenated the choir," says Lewis A. Crickard, director of the Hopkins Center. "It had dwindled in number of students. The audiences were down. In fact, they had canceled one concert. In less than 10 weeks Walter put together a choir of nearly 50 students that brought almost 500 people into Spaulding Auditorium on a Sunday afternoon." Cunningham electrified the audience as he simultaneously directed the choir, played piano, jumped up to dance and cued the accompanying Barbary Coast Jazz Ensemble and other guest performers.

"He's just brought a new level of excitement and expertise," says Joshya Price Kol '93, the Hopkins Center's coordinator of student performances.

Last year's student manager of the choir, Michaella Frederick'04 of Trinidad, witnessed firsthand the choir's revitalization and says Cunningham has become a mentor and father figure to many choir members. Frederick recalls when the choir had only 15 participants and was led by a student conductor. "After our first concert last fall I was crying. It just felt so good to see the choir on its way to achieving the potential it's always had," says Frederick.

Cunningham is not just teaching the vocalists, many of them gospel neophytes, how to sing "in a gospel way," but also teaching some of them how to sing period, as the gospel choir is the only ensemble that doesn't require auditions. Additionally, he arranges all the music, composes original songs and writes all the horn parts for the accompanying jazz musicians.

"My challenge here is to build an audience that doesn't necessarily come from those who already say, 'Oh, I just love gospel music!'" says Cunningham. "And to do that we have to be at a certain level." He hopes his new album, I Feel theSpirit—on which choir members can also be heard—will attract people, too. It will be released later this year.

"Oh yes, I'm tired and I worry about long-term sustainability because my days often go from 9 in the morning to 1 in the morning," Cunningham admits. "But I enjoy what I do and I see that people are being positively influenced and affected by it. The students here energize me. There's nothing like seeing them smile when they've nailed it."

Given that the choir's second concert in March drew more than 400 gospel enthusiasts on a Monday night prior to fi- nals, and its April concert 650 people, it's clear that Cunningham and the choir are already attracting a devoted following. "I think the word is out and that people will come whenever Walter and company are performing," Crickard says. The choir's next performance will be at 2 p.m. November 14 in Spaulding.