In the new Netflix series Voices Of Fire, Ezekiel Williams, a Bishop in Hampton Roads, Virginia, is looking to assemble the best gospel choir that the world has ever seen. His goal isn’t just to find the best voices, but to create a choir that is diverse and inclusive, the kind that could move people by the sheer power of music. Oh, and Ezekiel Williams also happens to be Pharrell’s uncle.
Umapagan Ampikaipakan: So the trailer for this is a little misleading. The way it’s cut, with those audition clips and panel of judges, made me think that Voices of Fire was some sort of gospel choir reality TV contest. But this isn’t “Christians Got Talent.” These aren’t people trying to be famous by being on television. This is the story of how an insanely skilled group of individuals, from one town, were shepherded together to form a phenomenal singing group. It’s about community and fellowship. It’s about faith. It’s also about how religion, when harnessed in a real and relavant way, can truly change people’s lives.
Bahir Yeusuff: The trailer did make it feel like a reality show, but once that first audition episode started, you immediately see the talent on display here. This isn’t a reality show about becoming famous and being the next Kelly Clarkson (sorry, my age is showing), but I could not stop thinking about how well ALL these contestants would do on a show like The Voice or American Idol (is that still on?). And all from the one community! It’s just crazy.
UA: What’s going on in Hampton Roads? Is there something in the water? How are there so many people who can sing like that?
BY: It’s weird to think that a place like Hampton Roads could have given rise to this many people that could sing at such a level. There was not a single bad voice in the audition. Sure, the people invited to take part were selected from video submissions, so they had been pre-approved, but still. The choir director and Bishop Williams kept repeating that they are only interested in the “unicorns,” and my goodness, not only do they have a stable filled with unicorns, they’ve got a backup stable full too.
I think my only real complaint was that the season is quite short. Admittedly, the series was incredibly tight, from when the auditions happened to heir first public performance, so in that sense I’m glad the filmmakers didn’t decide to milk it and pad up the episodes. But I’d have loved more of the rehearsal stuff maybe? I wanted to listen to more of the songs and the choir practicing it.
UA: I think keeping it as tight as they did went a long way to giving Voices of Fire that documentary feel. Which I did appreciate. Because they still managed to cram quite a lot into these six (relatively short) episodes. We learn so much about everyone involved. And all of them had some truly compelling stories.
I became very invested in Marcus and Elana’s lives. Marcus, who effectively broke his back, is someone who shouldn’t be able to walk, and Elana, who was born with just one ear, shouldn’t be able to sing. That music was able to give them such hope and purpose filled me with all of the feels.
BY: Again, I go back to that trailer. This is a series about the creation of a church choir. It isn’t a reality TV show about finding a group singers for a church choir, it isn’t a singing competition show. This is a straight up documentary.
UA: And not just any church choir mind you, but the best church choir in the whole wide world.
BY: And look, that may seem like hyperbole, and I don’t know if there is a Pitch Perfect style global gospel choir competition (I want to see that if there is), but this choir sounds amazing. Especially after just about three weeks of rehearsals. I mean, the majority of these singers are not professionals and are not professionally trained. They literally have a God given talent to sing. I mean, I had goosebumps when Danlie sang the Etta James classic “At Last.” Someone else did it in the auditions, but Danlie singing it in front of Pharrell, that was magic. Just thinking about it now is giving me goosebumps.
UA: We haven’t spoken about Pharrell. When we first meet Bishop Ezekiel Williams, he is introduced to us as “Pharrell’s Uncle,” but that’s just a bit of product placement more than anything else. Pharrell is an Executive Producer on the series and shows up a couple of times in these six episodes, but it really isn’t about him.
Were you expecting more of an active role on Pharrell’s part? Like the mentoring that takes place on The Voice?
BY: I have to admit I was. Maybe not as active as something like The Voice, but I figured he might show up at rehearsals? That said, I understand the decision not to include more of him. I mean, I’m sure he’s busy and isn’t based in the immediate Hampton Roads area.
In fact, I forgot about him almost immediately because the focus of the documentary series is not on Pharrell or his involvement, but rather on the choir itself. That’s the point right? In fact, even Bishop Ezekiel Williams doesn’t show up very much. This really is about the choir, about the choir leader, about the musical directors, and the 75 singers they’ve found to make this ensemble.
UA: Watching these accountants, and realtors, and nurses, I couldn’t help but think about our own plight here in Malaysia. And all of the singers, and writers, and artists we’ve “lost” to those occupations. Now, don’t get me wrong, tose are all important jobs and people need to do them, but I think about the state of our cultural output and I can’t help but wonder if my GP is secretly a world class tenor, or if my roti man spends his evenings writing incredible poetry.
BY: That “secret life” question is always intriguing right? Especially in Malaysia, where the arts are so often defined by the idea of “becoming famous.” To double down on your GP and roti man, the biggest crime would be that they themselves don’t know it, or don’t do it. The idea of a God-given talent that’s being wasted is the worst. It may be bad to find out your roti man writes incredible poetry, it would be way worse to find out that he never tried. He just has these words swirling around in his head but because he was never introduced to the idea of poetry as anything more than just rhyming words for children, he never did anything about it.
Is this what Malaysia needs then? More reality TV competitions? To find the next A. Samad Said? Or the next Andrea Bocelli? Is that the only way we, as a country, will be willing to pay attention to the arts? I mean, there’s a show on TV now to find the next Malaysian singer and from the little that I’ve come across on Twitter, quite a few of the contestants are TERRIBLE. Is it just a popularity contest here in Malaysia?
UA: Of course, in the case of Hampton Roads, Ezekiel Williams chalks it up to God. That these are people whose time has finally come. That they had to go through everything they did before they were ready for something like this.
I look at it in another way. Because it is a question of culture. Almost everyone who came to these auditions was raised singing in church. Music was a part of their lives. So ingrained, that singing was as natural to them as talking is to us. There was an existing community, one that didn’t just support such efforts, but actively participated in it.
I don’t believe we have such a thing here. So we can have all the reality contests we want, but unless that foundation exists, unless we realise that there is value in such things, then my roti man is never going to think to put pen to paper.
BY: I have a confession to make. I’ve had a Kanye West & Sunday Service Collective Choir video playing in the background this entire time. Not quite the same gospel music, but to this Muslim, it’s some good gospel music.
UA: Actually, I think that’s something we should point out. While we do hear versions of “At Last” and “Amazing Grace,” the songs here are primarily songs of praise as opposed to the more poppy style of music we get from something like Kanye’s Sunday Service. It may be unfamiliar to many who don’t practice the faith, but they are still incredibly moving pieces of music.
BY: Can I also say that Voices of Fire isn’t preachy. It isn’t a Christian show. It isn’t exclusive. I appreciated that. I do wish that they had played out some of the songs though. Maybe the filmmakers were too concerned about having it appeal to a secular audience. Am I just being too critical?
UA: I don’t believe you are. In fact, the one thing I was hoping, was for the last episode to be the concert in its entirety. I had invested so much time in these people and their journey that I too wanted to attend their massive coming out party. And while we did get to see what was the “best bits version” of the concert, I think something was lost in not showing it to us as an art piece in itself. By that point, I didn’t need any more commentary or flashbacks, I was ready to just sit back and feel.
BY: There was so much emphasis put on the solos that to have it intercut with them rehearsing, or with commentary, seems to have undermined the gravity of the moment. I really did like seeing Pharrell reactions to everything though. That was nice.
It was also nice seeing how the choir had gone on to do stuff too. They went on tour with Pharrell, played some late night TV shows, performed at a global concert. I don’t know if they’re still together but in my mind they are.
UA: In my mind, they would be on their world tour right now if it weren’t for this pandemic! I would have tickets to see them at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
UA: Voices of Fire is the kind of documentary that helps restore your faith. Like you said earlier, it isn’t about Christianity, it isn’t even really about God, but rather about religion as a tool for community building. Which isn’t something we see all that often. The idea of the church being a place where everyone can come together for a common purpose. Yes, there is prayer and worship. Yes, there is a common faith. But these are also good, everyday people, who believe in their community and want to see it thrive.
For all the talk of creating the “world’s best gospel choir,” everything in the series was always focussed on their immediate surroundings. They never lost sight of that.
At the end of the day, Voices of Fire is a show about opportunity. It’s what everyone is looking for. It’s what everyone needs. That one chance to change your life, and being self-aware enough to take it.
Voices of Fire
Netflix, Limited Series, 6 episodes
Cast: Ezekiel Williams, Pharrell Williams, Peggy Britt, Patrick Riddick, and Larry George
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