London’s Kingdom Choir has always enjoyed critical acclaim, but its rendition of “Stand by Me” at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has propelled it into the spotlight.
The choir leader, Karen Gibson, says she is constantly recognized on London streets. Now the Kingdom Choir has won a recording contract with Sony UK. Its debut album is due for release on Nov. 2.
“I do feel that my life is completely different to, say, two, three months ago. Completely,” Gibson told CBS News. A YouTube version of the royal wedding song has reached 10 million views.
A headline concert is planned for London’s Union Chapel on Nov. 28. The choir was founded in 1994. Gibson says that before the royal wedding its biggest audience was just 200, but its song is now at the top of the UK Billboard’s gospel charts.
John Martin
Matthew Townsend is a Halifax-based freelance journalist and volunteer advocate for survivors of sexual misconduct in Anglican settings. He served as editor of the Anglican Journal from 2019 to 2021 and communications missioner for the Anglican Diocese of Quebec from 2019 to 2022. He and his wife recently entered catechism class in the Orthodox Church in America.
