Karen Gibson (choir conductor)

Karen Muriel Cecile Gibson MBE is a choir conductor and workshop leader with London's The Kingdom Choir, which she founded in 1993.[1][2] She led the Kingdom Choir's gospel performance of "Stand by Me" at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in May 2018,[3] after which she was described as "Britain’s godmother of gospel".[4]

Gibson has previously provided backing vocals for acts such as Grace Kennedy and The Beautiful South.[5] She has been involved with vocal groups and choirs since 1993,[1] conducting gospel workshops all over the UK and Europe as well as Nigeria, Japan, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and the United States.

In 2020, Gibson appeared as a contestant on Series 15 of Celebrity Masterchef.[6]

She was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2020 Birthday Honours for services to music.[7]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Karen Gibson". UK Choir Festival. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  2. ^ Campbell, Joel (March 2023). "What concerns you concerns God, says Karen Gibson". The Voice. p. 40. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  3. ^ "'Stand by Me' performed by Karen Gibson and The Kingdom Choir - The Royal Wedding - BBC". 19 May 2018.
  4. ^ Tapper, James (26 May 2018). "'It brings the spirit joy': Britain's godmother of gospel on why her choir stole the royal wedding". the Guardian. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  5. ^ "Who are The Kingdom Choir, what songs did they perform at the Royal Wedding and who is gospel leader Karen Gibson? - Gospel Music Industry Alliance". 4 July 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  6. ^ Darvill, Josh (28 June 2020). "Celebrity MasterChef 2020 line up of celebrity contestants revealed". TellyMix. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  7. ^ "No. 63135". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 October 2020. p. B18.