The New Testament Church of God's choir, the Dynamic Voices of Praise, will depart on Thursday to perform at a crusade in Fayeteville, North Carolina.

Choir director Gladstone Thompson told The Royal Gazette he initially misunderstood the invitation to sing at the crusade.

"When they invited us to sing in September, I thought it was next September (1997),'' Mr. Thompson said. "It was not until May that I discovered that they meant this September.'' As a result of the confusion, only 21 of the 45-strong choir will make the trip abroad since a number of the singers had used up their vacation time.

Still, Mr. Thompson said the group was looking forward to making their first overseas performance.

Some of the American public will already be acquainted with the three-year-old choir. Videotapes of their performances have aired on the Black Entertainment Channel's Sunday church programming in the US.

Mr. Thompson said he has already chosen five songs that the choir will perform during their trip.

"I would like to perform `If You Can Use Anything Lord Use Me', `Rock of Ages', `He is Able', `I Will Go in Jesus's Name' and `We Have Come to Praise Him','' he said.

The choir has performed at numerous school gospel concerts and in the Concert in the Park's Gospel Gatherings. They will get some additional local exposure when they perform three songs at this evening's Bermuda Industrial Union's Banquet at the Southampton Princess.