Friendship Baptist to host Norway choir
Norway’s Divisi Choir will be bringing its uplifting brand of choral music with a gospel theme to McMinnville’s Friendship Baptist Church this weekend in performances scheduled for Saturday, April 3 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, April 4 at 10:30 a.m.
This group of some 40 handpicked singers, who range from 20 to 35 years of age, strive to preach the gospel through their music. The group will be touring the U.S. under the auspices of Scarbrough Fair Tours, managed by local resident Melissa Scarbrough. Admission is free.
Someone once said, “The Lord works in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform.” It’s a phrase which rings true in every Christian heart that hears it, and a great example of this is the long and momentous path that led two choirs from Norway all the way to Friendship Baptist Church in McMinnville.
It took a propitious turn of events to turn tragedy into triumph for a renowned singer, musician and songwriter who has suffered mightily, but survived to continue his work and his message, and made his own long voyage back from the depths to new friendship and hope.
“It’s kind of a long story,” said Scarbrough, who manages the American tours for the two choirs, Divisi and Voice of Joy.
“It started back in 1972 when I went to a Leon Russell show. Leon toured with a gentleman named Rev. Patrick Henderson. Patrick was a gospel musician from Dallas, Texas,” Scarbrough said.
Russell featured the talented gospel singer and masterful pianist in his shows, and though Russell is noted for his own skill at the keyboard, Rev. Henderson’s piano playing is also heard in some of Russell’s seminal recordings.
“Patrick and I have stayed in touch over the years,” Scarbrough said, and through Rev. Henderson, she developed a friendship with Russell. A percussionist herself, Scarbrough has had the privilege of recording with Russell and Rev. Henderson in Russell’s studio.
But four years ago the friendship between these two would move to a new level in a way neither could have imagined due to an incident of unimaginable violence that would change Rev. Henderson’s life forever.
“He was hurt in a terrible attack on his person in Baltimore in October of 2000,” Scarbrough said. “Actually, his right hand was severed in the attack.”
Robbery was the motive, but miraculously, Rev. Henderson survived, and his hand was surgically reattached. Though he only has minimal use of it at present, doctors hope to make improvements with further surgeries.
“It was a terrible thing for Patrick,” Scarbrough said, “and when I found out about it, I was heartbroken, because I loved Patrick so much, and I thought, ‘He’ll never play the piano again.'”
Scarbrough felt moved to bring her old friend to meet her fellow church members at Friendship Baptist, and in June of 2001, he made the trip. “He spoke at Friendship, and really moved the church with his testimony,” she said.
Since Rev. Henderson had run up considerable medical bills due to his injuries, Scarbrough decided it would be good to do a benefit for him. A Grammy and Dove award winner, Henderson had written songs for Michael McDonald, Tremaine Hawkins, and the Gaither Vocal Band as well as Russell, so Henderson’s benefit show in January of 2002 at Christ Church in Nashville included some of the elite in the music industry, including McDonald, Russell, Natalie Cole and others.
And, oddly enough, that’s where the Norwegian choirs came in.
“Patrick had told me that he had worked with these choirs in Norway,” Scarbrough said. “They had sent for him over the years to come and teach them some songs. They love black gospel music in Norway.”
And so it has come full circle, with the music exhibiting its power to support and heal. Both choirs are touring this year. Voice of Joy will be here in mid-July, while the Divisi choir will perform this week, and according to Scarbrough, is not to be missed.