Essence Of Success

Romford’s Rebecca Amissah founded the Gospel Essence a cappella singing group in 2010, which has since gone on to perform on national TV. Here she shares the story of the group and her aspirations for the future.

SOMETIMES when you make things up as you go along, the journey it takes you on can surprise you. That’s very true of the Gospel Essence story. Seven years ago I set up the group in response to an agent who was unable to find a reliable gospel choir. I couldn’t have imagined the performances it would have led us to and the people that I would have the honour to work with as a result. We have supported Kirk Franklin, a multiple Grammy Award winning gospel artist, on his London tour; we’ve performed in a BBC series with Gareth Malone as he scoured the UK for the most entertaining a cappella group (we came fifth) and were flown out to Abu Dhabi to perform at the 2016 Formula 1 Grand Prix. Not bad for a girl from Romford with no industry contacts or formal training, but some talented family and friends and bags of tenacity.

My sister, Paulina Amissah, sings in the group. She explains: ‘I have always had a passion for singing, so when Rebecca asked me to be part of Gospel Essence I was more than happy to participate. People always ask if we get on in the choir, and for the most part we do. I think every sibling relationship has its moments, but if I’m honest, I wouldn’t change it. Being part of the choir has brought us closer together. I am so proud of the work that Rebecca has produced and I’m so glad that her talents have been realised.’