Gulf Coast Community Choir embraces diversity, helps other groups.
By Ed James III
Original Air Date: April 29, 2026
Host: In a world that often feels divided, one local group has spent more than a quarter-century proving that harmony is more than just a musical term—it’s a way of life. The Gulf Coast Community Choir is preparing for their annual benefit concert this May, and WSLR News reporter Ed James III sat down with the group’s leadership to talk about music, mission, and the “Choir with a Heart.” Ed, tell us more.
Choir: (singing) The Lord is come
Let earth receive her King
EJ: For twenty-six years, the Gulf Coast Community Choir has been a fixture of the Manasota community. But they aren’t just your average choral group. Their motto is ‘The Choir with a Heart,’ and as I learned from Board President James Lawrence, their diversity is their greatest strength.
Some of the founding choir members | Courtesy GCCC
James Lawrence: It’s a multicultural group, and most of us are kind-of up there in age. I’ve been in the choir about 16 years. When I joined the choir, I was one of the younger members. Our founder, his idea in forming the choir was he felt that music was a tremendous force to bring people together.
EJ: That founder was Dr. Caroll Buchanan. Today, the baton has been passed to Director Karen Chester-Amengor, who has been with the group since day one. For Karen, the choir represents a sanctuary where the differences that usually divide society—religion, profession, sexual orientation—simply melt away when the first note is struck.
Karen Chester-Amengor: The things that normally would divide people, because we are singing, it brings us together. We really get our strength from the true diversity in the group, and then that’s reflected in the music that we sing. We provide an eclectic mix of music, just like we have an eclectic mix of singers. We find great joy in the music, and that does truly bring us together. It’s not just a choir, but it’s a family.
EJ: That family atmosphere extends far beyond the rehearsal hall at Trinity United Methodist Church. Since its inception, the GCCC has been a powerhouse for local philanthropy, frequently donating proceeds from their concerts back into the community. James Lawrence notes that they’ve supported over 50 organizations, focusing on the smaller gems that need it most.
JL: The idea was to donate to, probably, the smaller charities that we felt need the support the most, and that was the vision of our founder.
EJ: This year’s concert, titled “A Melodious Trip Down Memory Lane,” will benefit Baby Basics of Sarasota County and the Multicultural Health Institute. Karen Chester explains that, for the choir, health isn’t just physical—it’s communal.
KCA: Whether it’s mental health, physical health, financial health, we want to make the lives of our choir members—the lives of people in our community—better.
EJ: The concert takes place Sunday, May 3, at 4:00 p.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church on South Shade Avenue. For more information, go to gulfcoastchoir.org. And, as Karen Chester mentioned during our talk, there’s always room for one more voice in the family.
KCA: We’re always seeking additional singers. We rehearse on Mondays at 6:00 p.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church in Sarasota, so we would be happy to have new voices join our choir-slash-family.
EJ For WSLR News, I’m Ed James III.
Choir: (singing) And Heaven and nature sing
And Heaven and nature sing
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing
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