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The complex, joyful music of a gospel version of Handel's "Messiah" helped vocal coach Debra Bonner hear new insights in the beloved oratorio.

As the leader of Utah's Unity Gospel Choir, Bonner sought to have her singers perform "Handel's Messiah: A Soulful Celebration," the 1992 Grammy-winning album with songs arranged by former Take 6 singer Mervyn Warren and others, that includes a "We Are the World"-style "Hallelujah" Chorus led by Warren and mega-producer Quincy Jones.

"I could feel what Handel was saying more," Bonner says of the contemporary arrangements that feature gospel-style syncopation and extreme high and low notes. She adds: "The work is very difficult to sing."

The backstory behind the volunteer choir's upcoming Utah Valley University concert on Thursday and a Dec. 22 fundraising gala is almost as incongruous as the idea of Bonner's Mormon-rooted gospel choir in white-bread Utah.

Several months ago, Bonner sought out sheet music for the selections from "Soulful Celebration," but was told charts weren't available. Undeterred, she turned to her longtime collaborator, Las Vegas-based gospel pianist David Blakely, to create soundtrack recordings. Then she asked musicians from Brigham Young University to make choral charts from the recordings.

When Bonner received copyright permission from Warren's managers to perform the music, she invited him to lead the "Hallelujah" Chorus at the Utah concert. She was surprised when the Los Angeles-based musician said yes — and further surprised when the noted gospel musician and film composer and producer ("The Preacher's Wife," "Sister Act 2" and "The Wedding Planner") agreed to lead master classes while he's in town.

The Unity Gospel Choir grew out a choir that was part of Genesis Group, a group for black Mormons. Bonner joined the choir last year, then was assigned to lead it. She tapped her son Yahosh, a high-school basketball coach and singer who has posted popular YouTube music videos with James The Mormon, to help as assistant director.

Over the past year, Bonner has coached and pushed the 40-member group with more rigorous rehearsals and far-reaching Utah performances, from Brigham Young University's Women's Conference and Manti's Mormon Miracle Pageant to Salt Lake City's Eccles Theater grand opening, as well as concerts with Alex Boyé and David Archuleta. The group is raising money to launch Unity Gospel Choirs across the country, beginning in Bonner's hometown of Flint, Mich.

"None of the choir grew up singing gospel music," says Bonner, adding that about one-quarter of the group are African-American, one-quarter are white "and the rest are in between. We have all shades."

Bonner was schooled in gospel music at Flint's Foss Avenue Baptist Church, going on to receive classical training and a master's degree from the University of Michigan. She developed a national reputation as a singing teacher after training with Michael Jackson's voice coach, the legendary Seth Riggs.

As a young couple, Bonner and her husband, Harry, served a stint as Baptist missionaries in Liberia. Over the years, their family grew to eight children, all musically talented. In the 1980s, the family joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and eventually settled in Utah.

When Warren was originally commissioned to create the work, he was assigned to create adventurous, but still respectful, arrangements. "Don't worry about keeping it simple," he recalls the record producer saying. "Do what you feel, and have fun with the arrangements."

Working on contemporary arrangements of inspirational music felt like a chance to be paid for what he had done with his friends growing up in Alabama, steeped in Christian and classical music in a Seventh-day Adventist family.

The gospel "Messiah" project had just a six-month timeline, so Warren assigned himself seven cuts and delegated the rest. Producers approached Quincy Jones, who was a fan of Warren's work in Take 6, to assemble the "Who's Who" of voices who recorded the "Hallelujah" Chorus.

For Warren, he hopes the Utah concert is part of a revival of interest in "Soulful Celebration" arrangements, along with plans for a future Kennedy Center concert and eventual release of the sheet music. —

Sing 'Hallelujah'

When • The Unity Gospel Choir, with help from award-winning musician, composer and producer Mervyn Warren, will perform Thursday, Dec. 15, at 7 p.m.

Where • UCCU Event Center, 800 W. University Parkway, Orem

Tickets • $15 at unitygospelchoir.org/uccu or at the door

Also • Food for the Soul fundraising gala on Thursday, Dec. 22, 6 p.m.

Where • UVU Ballroom, Orem

Reservations and information • unitygospelchoir.org/gala

Also • To watch a video of the "Hallelujah" Chorus led by Quincy Jones and Mervyn Warren, visit http://mervynwarren.com/discography/various-artists-handels-messiah-a-soulful-celebration