They've been impressing audiences around the world for 45 years, but Sunday marked the end of an era for the Total Experience Gospel Choir when it hosted an anniversary and farewell concert at Seattle's Moore Theater.
A smaller ensemble of singers plan to continue in the future, but Sunday was a chance for the full choir to sing their hearts out one last time.
A line was already around the block more than an hour before the doors opened.
“I still can't believe it's the final performance,” Former Choir Member Ray Dalton said.
Current and past choir members came to sing one more time and share special memories about their time singing with the group. They say when you talk about the choir, you’re talking about Pastor Patrinell “Pat” Wright.
“We've been to 28 countries and 33 states,” she said. Wright describes herself as a “country girl from Texas,” and says she never imagined they would do so much over the years. “I've been crying a lot; not tears of sadness but tears of joy that I'm still here and still able to do that I started doing when I was three years old."
Dalton says Wright has had a tremendous impact on his life and many others “with everything crazy going on today's world, the choir fills that emptiness void so it's an incredible thing and to me, it's my whole life.”
Wright says leading the group and keeping people dedicated hasn’t been easy.
“People were laughing at us and saying, a community choir, ha-ha, that's not going to work. Well, we're 45 years old today,” she said.
Pastor Pat plans to keep singing with a smaller dedicated group of about eight singers.
“Much smaller. We usually do twenty engagements a month - now maybe 10.”
It was a special afternoon with a woman who touched so many lives and continues to reach out.
“Don't be persuaded by anything that gives you a negative feeling on the inside. So stick with the right thing,” she said.
