Love Alive Ministries' most ambitious endeavour to date turned out to be a flat out celebration of all that is good and wholesome about the power of the Lord.

The format of the show was simple - this was church ya'll, with some key performances from some outstanding talents.

It was spectacular. The stage was set directly in the middle of the National Stadium field, facing West (toward the beautiful new seating area), and the lighting and giant television screens were just fantastic.

The only technical difficulty came from the sound department, and those problems were pretty minor (I really should be ashamed for even mentioning them!).

Reverend Terrence Stovell was the Master of Ceremonies, and this guy really did a wonderful job. His ministering was enthusiastically absorbed by the 2000 strong crowd throughout the evening, and he even got in a few musical pieces that thrilled and excited the congregation.

The feel of church was established quite emphatically from the beginning, when Reverend Stovell opened the proceedings by uttering the words "Bless his name" and leading the congregation in prayer. The stage was set, and the word continued to flow freely from that point onward.

The opening act was a very interesting piece that was put together by a group of about thirty youths who called themselves 'Shout Praises' ... or at least that is what they were introduced as.

Highlights of this very special local act included songs led by the incomparable Nhoj Steede (who exhibited a noticeably matured voice on this night), the brilliant Jesse Seymour, Earshon Deshields, Chloe Minors and the very cute little Khylah Rogers (who led a jammin' rendition of the classic children's hymn "Jesus Loves Me").

This group's generous thirty minute set even included a sensational 'emancipation sequence' (which entailed a song led by Earshon and Jesse, and a skit about the passing of the Emancipation Act). Sadly, the children were the only performers who really addressed the issue of Emancipation during this 'Emancipation Celebration' - quite curious.

Fifteen-year-old Shoa Bean choreographed the entire piece, and the crowd soaked it all in quite excitedly.

Reverend Stovell led the congregation in a stirring rendition of "We Lift Our Hands In The Sanctuary" and said a few disturbing words about the Soca show going on at White Hill field before he finally introduced the second, and, for me, most electrifying act of the night.

Ayiesha Woods took the stage to a smattering of appreciative applause. The vibe was one of non-recognition, but soon after she opened her mouth and released the voice of an angel upon us, we began treating her like an old friend.

She delivered four ridiculously solid songs that no one in the stadium could help but like, and by the time she dropped the stunning "What You Do To Me" (her second song) I had already decided that I had to own her CD (which was on sale at the venue).

"The Beauty Of You" featured a terrific interpretive dance piece by Shinika Scott, and Ayiesha and her back up singers dazzled us with soaring vocals and tight harmonies throughout the thirty minute set. Then there was the exhilarating sight of Ayiesha spreading the Gospel through dance, alongside Tamika Moore and Nakia Dill during her magnificent rendition of the reggae infused beast of a song "Crazy".

That performance was, for this critic, the highlight of the show. I'm telling you people, if you like high quality contemporary Christian music, you really need to check this girl's music out! More ministering followed before Sister Angela Christie was introduced at some time around 9.00 p.m.

This young woman took our breath away on more than one occasion, as she played the meanest sax this side of Hades.

More Kenny G. than Coltrane, Christie delivered a set of such raw beauty that we oohed and aahed far more than we clapped.

She also played her role as an evangelist faithfully, stopping to minister to the congregation between each piece, and lifting spirits with every note. Pieces like "Jesus You Are The Centre Of My Joy" (during which she strolled through the V.I.P. seats, playing to the crowd and even standing in a chair so that everyone could see her) "Blessed Assurance" and the elegant "Great Is My Faithfulness" revealed that this woman was a dynamic performer, who has the ability to hold an audience in suspended amazement for as log as she wishes.

She held us spellbound for the better part of an hour, and we loved every moment she blessed us with.

Now it was 10.00 p.m. already, and we had Reverend Stovell preaching to us again. The good news was that the security was keeping the Southern entrance to the field clear for the imminent arrival of Mr. McClurkin.

Donnie finally took the stage at some time around 10.30 p.m., having caused an avalanche of applause and cheers from the stands when he waved while walking across the field on his way to the stage.

The ovation was huge when Donnie stood before us and opened his set with the inspiring "Deliverance", and the interaction between this man and his audience was something to behold throughout his ample set.

This man's voice was quality, his words were anointed and his charisma was absolutely overflowing on this night at the National Stadium in Bermuda. Soon after the congregation began to settle, Donnie confessed his love for our homeland by intimating that if there was any place outside the US where he could live, Bermuda would be that place.

The congregation responded with unbridled adoration.

This was when Donnie invited all the folks in the bleachers to come down and fill the space between the V.I.P. seats and the stage - a flood ensued.

The love affair between this man and this audience was absolutely tangible on this evening, and when he delivered his Caribbean influenced medley "I Want To See My Jesus", a full-blown Hallelujah party broke out!

The scene was frenetic and exhausting at this point, but soon the decorum would return, as Donnie stopped to celebrate the power of the Lord with the story of his sister's miraculous recovery from a very malignant form of cancer (the same sister who was one of his back up singers on this evening).

He also revealed that he has been told by doctors that he shouldn't be able to sing, then proceeded to belt out simply marvellous renditions of his two international smashes "We Fall Down" and "Stand".

At one point when this concert was first announced, the ticket prices seemed somewhat excessive.

Having witnessed the level of talent and devotion that these performers brought to our little island on Wednesday night, I would certainly bet that absolutely no one who was present left feeling the slightest bit dissatisfied.

Every person received a gift that was very much worth every penny they paid for the opportunity to be a witness on this occasion. Congratulations to Love Alive Ministries, and, by all means, keep up the good work!