The University of South Carolina Upstate spotlighted more than four decades of musical excellence and community impact with the premiere of Elevate, a new documentary chronicling the USC Upstate Gospel Choir, on April 12 at the HPAC Theater.
The evening began with a red carpet welcome, followed by a formal program featuring the film premiere, awards and a panel discussion. The celebration concluded with a live worship experience led by the USC Upstate Gospel Choir, bringing together past and present voices in a powerful display of tradition and unity.
Hosted by Dr. Warren Carson, founder of the choir, and Alphaeus Anderson, the ensemble’s current director, the event highlighted the choir’s enduring influence on campus and beyond.
Anderson reflected on the significance of the moment, emphasizing the deep history behind the program.
“What made it so powerful was the full-circle moment,” Anderson said. “Dr. Olin Sansbury was the one who gave approval for the gospel choir to exist in 1981, and Sharon Robinson was the student who typed the original letter proposing it and helped name what began as the Gordon Colloms Gospel Choir. To have them both in the room over 40 years later was special. We also honored Dr. Warren Carson for his legacy in building the program.”
The event drew notable campus and community leaders, including USC Upstate Chancellor Bennie Harris and Spartanburg Mayor Jerome Rice, bringing awareness to the choir’s broad impact.
“We reunited alumni from 1981 to 2025, captured a powerful pop-up recording across generations, and truly built momentum for what’s next,” Anderson said.
The documentary and accompanying celebration reflect USC Upstate’s continued commitment to honoring its history while inspiring future generations of performers and leaders.
More photos from the event can be found on our Flickr album.