THE Brooklyn Tabernacle performed something short of a miracle in packing the National Stadium with well over 8,000 people last weekend.

A pre-show deluge did little to dampen the audience's spirit as teams of ushers dried the field level seats in time for the 7.30 show.

Although the show started some 25 minutes late due to technical difficulties the crowd was more than forgiving and in fact found some humour in the situation by watching each other on the pair of giant monitors.

The opening group was the Cornerstone Total Praise team who performed a series of interpretive dance numbers followed by the Cornerstone singers who gave a lively set. The local contingent succeeded in whetting the audience's appetites as the 250 members of the Brooklyn Tabernacle choir made their way to the stage.

It took ten minutes to have everyone assembled on stage and then it was showtime! Choir director Carol Cymbala said: "I'm so thrilled to be here. We arrived on Wednesday and we were overtaken by the island and its beauty. We are not a show choir, we don't know how to do that but we know how to lift up the name of Jesus."

Yours truly had scouted a plum seat and it was refreshing to hear an inspirational choir that was in perfect harmony and not screeching like banshees for the next three hours.

There was a moment of silence as the names of the people whose lives were snuffed out by Hurricane Fabian were read aloud as their faces were flashed on the giant screens that flanked the stage.

The concert resumed with an array of soloists, including one silver-throated songstress who sang in both English and Spanish.

The emotional testimony by Genelle Guzman-McMillan was a powerful one, as she was the last survivor to be extricated from the ruins of the Tower One of the World Trade Centre (see Q & A, page four).

In spite of a heavy lisp and thick accent, the audience hung on to her every word as she related the horrific experience and the circumstances that caused her to change her life for the better.

Genelle exclaimed: "I was ready to die, but the one thing that kept me going was thinking about my daughter and my family. I asked God to save me and give me another chance. I asked God to show me a miracle; I was like a mouse under the rubble. When I made the promise that I would do God's will that was when my rescuer came."

The second-half, testimonial phase of the concert which was nothing short of a tear-jerker, related the experiences of Danny Velasco, who is a recovering heroin addict who has survived life on the streets and the ravages of Hepatitis A, B and C.

Danny was malnourished and dying both in the physical and spiritual sense as well as being 'strung out'. During a stint in hospital and battling his demons complete with hearing voices in his head ranging from profanity-laced tirades to maniacal laughter, Danny said one voice broke through the chaos that helped him to inner peace and salvation.

Pictures of Danny before and after showed the positive metamorphosis and Danny is now an active member of the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir today.

As the musical portion concert resumed, the audience sang almost as loud as the featured act. This scribe was fortunate enough to be seated next to a young lady who was able to hold a tune so I enjoyed the best of both worlds!

Pastor Jim Cymbala ministered throughout the latter portion of the concert and worked the crowd like a true evangelist with a smidgen of an ambassador to tourism. He said: "We want you to jump on a plane and come to New York", which was what the entire crowd needed to kick the energy level up just another notch.

Pastor Cymbala's fiery sermon walked the fine balance between fiery enough to earn him street credibility and refined enough for the more traditional churchgoers to appreciate without being offended.

As the show drew to a close, a mass prayer was held at the front of the stage as hundreds of people, some of whom were wheelchair bound, pressed forward to the stage to receive a prayer.

The choir made their way to the stage to give an encore, which was well received. Songs such as Days of Elijah, Lord I Believe in You, My Life Is in Your Hands and several others reverberated throughout the stadium, which was one of the more enjoyable moments when there wasn't a single complaint about loud noise.