Will Harris and Friends performed at Moore Hall Auditorium on Feb. 22 at 7 p.m., after an invite from Dr. Robert Canida, director of the Office for Diversity and Inclusion (ODI).
Harris is a native from Oxford, Miss. and a renowned musician and singer. He came to Fayetteville, N.C. as a minister and put together a group of local singers. He recorded his CDs and DVDs called Everything to God in Prayer and A Songwriters Journal with the group of people, now referred to as the āFriends.ā Harris also has other albums like Dream Again and He Knows My Name, with his singles āNever Forget Itā and āYes Lord.ā
āIāve met Will Harris eight years ago when he had his first album called āDream Againā. I was asked to arrange a gospel concert and I said sure, so this is sort of a prelude to the one weāre going to do in April,ā Canida said.
The performance opened with Phi Mu Alpha Fraternity singing āLet Your Light Shine on Meā and āSwing Down Sweet Chariotā. Chosen Generation, UNCPās gospel choir, covered the song āSafe in His Armsā by Vickie Winans.
Paul Anderson, a member of Phi Mu Alpha, contributed with a song called āKeep Your Hand on the Plowā by Mahalia Jackson until the special guestās final preparations. Canida came on stage to introduce Will Harris and Friends.
Will Harris and Friends opened with the song āDraw Me Close.ā Then, they covered the song āLift Every Voice and Singā by James Weldon Johnson.
āI was a freshman in college and my English Professor asked me āwhat is your major going to be?ā Harris said. āI was excited about it, so I said, āIām going to be a music majorā and she had one question for me, āwho wrote lift every voice and sing?āā
Will Harris and Friends sung two songs from the album A Song Writerās Journal; āI Have Plans for Youā, a song based off the scripture Jeremiah 21:11, and āMiracle Workā.
During a short break, Harris discussed with the audience the importance of never giving up no matter how long it takes.
āListen Pembroke, I have a strong passion for college students and for the young people,ā he said. āIt took me seven years to get a bachelorās degree but guess what, Iām working on a doctorate right now.ā
They sang āDream Again,ā a song inspired for college students wanting to achieve their dreams from the Dream Again album. Harris discussed how thereās nothing too hard for God and how he ended up being in full time ministry when his original goal was to be an educator. They then performed āI Will Make Itā from A Song Writerās Journal.
āYoung people continue to dream, donāt let anyone shoot your dreams down,ā Harris said.
Harris led the singers into multiple song selections from inspired and influential artists. Songs like āAngelsā and āTotal Praiseā by Richard Smallwood and āIn the Sanctuaryā and āFor Every Mountainā by Kurt Carr.
Harris and Friends ended the night with a saying from his hometown, telling the audience it was a āplum pleasing pleasureā to be with them. Ending the showcase with their final selection, āGod Bless You Forever.ā
Canida returned to the stage to thank everyone for coming out and said that Harris and Friends did the performance at no charge, so the audience can support them by buying their music.
Harrisā albums are available on Spotify, iTunes and Google play.
There will be a concert on April 28 called āGospel Extravaganzaā in Moore Hall Auditorium.
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