Meet the August Quarterly Festival Choir, which keeps enslaved people's stories alive through music

The rhythmic pulse of hand clapping, accompanied by the resounding harmonic messages through voice. For centuries, spiritual hymns have kept hope alive, even more so for the enslaved.

"Sometimes, a song was their only hope," the Rev. Justin Powell said. "You know, they kept them going and then, also secret messages in the song, [telling them] to wade in the water."

With the water being a passageway to freedom by knocking off any scent the dogs of slave owners were trying to follow.

"The August Quarterly Festival choir is comprised of a good 30 churches or more in the Wilmington area," Powell, the director of the spirited ensemble, said.

Every year, the choir lifts so many spirits at the oldest Black religious gathering in the country, which is also known as the Big Quarterly in Wilmington. Their performance is designed to be a testament to enslaved people and their strength after gaining freedom from slavery.

Peter Spencer, founder of the Mother African Union Church, started the festival in 1814, two years before the church became the birthplace of the entire AME denomination.

"This generation that is behind us, the story doesn't stop with us," Powell said. "We have to keep telling the story because how else will they learn?"

The education continues even through tragedy. The historic church was recently destroyed by fire, but just like these spirituals, melodies of strength are unwavering and inspiring.

Faith City Family Church in Wilmington has been a long-time partner and media sponsor of the August Quarterly. This house of worship is also home to Reach Gospel Radio, which Powell says reminds everyone to "never forget what happened."

"Never forget where we came from," Powell said. "Now we're here now, but what's next?"

Now just a couple of months out, the choir looks forward to lifting their voices for this year's festival with the theme "Our Souls, Our Story."

"I was born in the Mother African Union Church," Marilyn Monk, chair of the August Quarterly, said. "So, August Quarterly has always been a part of my soul."

With the passing of time, through the peaks and valleys that life can bring from back in the day to this very day, when it comes to the Black church and the community as a whole, the message remains the same: promote change, progress, togetherness and resilience.

"When we're thinking about the music, when we are dealing with so many different socio-political struggles and challenges and differences, it's the music from the past, the music from the present that lets us know that our future is still bright," Mother African Union Pastor Ron Whitaker said.