- What He’s Done Southeast Inspirational Choir 3:47
In 1970, three gifted, passionate, skilled gospel visionaries, Brenda Waters, Shirley Joiner and Carl Preacher combined their directing, playing, singing and song writing gifts to present a youth musical to benefit the Mt. Olive and Outreach Missionary Baptist Churches in Houston Texas. Ms. Brenda Waters directed the choir, Carl played the organ and Ms. Shirley played the piano…the young singers just did what they were told to do. They presented their first Dedication and Praise concert at Houston’s South Park Baptist Church on Valentine’s Day in 1971.
The choir’s leaders decided to turn the group into a permanent choir. They lived and “churched” in southeast Houston, so they named the choir “The Southeast Inspirational Youth Choir” aka Southeast. Brenda, Shirley and Carl taught 45 adolescents to sing soprano, alto and tenor, obey directions; and praise God in song and life. In the summer of 1971, at the James Cleveland Gospel Music Workshop of America in Dallas, they were named the “1971-72 Most Promising Choir”. The choir is still in existence today, now into the second and third generation of singers.
In 1982 the choir released a single titled “My Liberty”, with Yolanda Adams, then a sophomore at Texas Southern University, singing lead. Her voice drew the attention of Thomas Whitfield of Sound of Gospel records. She eventually was signed and made her debut album in 1987. The rest is history as Yolanda became, and continues to be a huge gospel recording personality. She has sold over 10 Million albums world wide.