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From
a child it seems that Brenda Waters has been preparing for her life's
calling in the music ministry. Both mother and grandmother played
for and directed church choirs, and Brenda herself started singing
and playing when she was only a child. In 1965 at Mount Olive Baptist
Church (Houston), Brenda began to build her skills, choosing and
teaching music and exercising the discipline and leadership necessary
to build a church music department. While all these groups differ
in musical style and level of difficulty, Brenda found she still
needed an outlet for music not well suited to a traditional eleven
o'clock church setting. In 1969, Brenda approached Shirley Joiner,
who was head musician at Outreach Baptist Church, about combining
their youth choirs. From this idea came the Southeast Inspirational
Youth Choir. This youth choir pioneered contemporary Gospel music
in a church setting. Brenda, Shirley and Carl Preacher, put together
a sound that was unique in gospel music in the early seventies.
Back then everyone clamored to hear B C & S, the trio that sang
Gospel "that sounded like Jazz".
After
doing several albums with Southeast and B C & S, and after performing
nationally with both, Brenda's ministry moved into another direction.
Brenda dedicated her life to church music ministry. It was at the
Christian Faith Baptist Church where God sent Brenda and ministered
to her very personally. "God sent me to work at Christian Faith
to heal, nourish, and prepare me for greater works", says Brenda.
To her credit, Brenda designed an acoustically sound choir stand
with amphitheater seating and recessed flooring that allowed the
instruments to be in proper alignment. This choir stand concept
is now used in several churches in and around Houston, Texas.
Currently,
Brenda continues her ministry availing herself to workshops, consulting,
revivals, speaking for women conferences, prison ministry, concerts,
guest appearances, and the production of "Wings". In addition, Brenda
has performed on several recordings. She can be heard with Donald
Lawrence and the Tri-City Singers on the songs "Stranger" and "Don't
Forget To Remember" from the hit album "BIBLE STORIES". As a writer,
she is best known for the song "True Praise" recorded by Rev. Paul
Morton and Greater St. Stevens Church of New Orleans, Louisiana.
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