The Greatest Homecoming on Earth officially began on Sunday with the Homecoming 2003 Gospel Explosion.

The N.C. A&T Gospel Choir, the UNCG Neo-Black Society Gospel Choir and other visiting choirs all came together to rejoice in song. “The gospel show was a true gospel explosion,” said Brittnay Wells, a board member of Aggies Interdenominational Fellowship.

“It was just wonderful because the show was supposed to start at 6 p.m., but there were people there earlier than that just fellowshipping,” she said.

A large portion of the audience was in Harrison at 5 p.m. but only a few remained until the program was over shortly before 10 p.m.

In previous years, the Homecoming gospel show included at least one national recording artist. This year, the show included choirs from Fayetteville State, Elizabeth City State, Shaw University, Mount Zion Baptist Church and a singing group from Virginia.

“Next year, we would like to see a national recording artist perform,” Wells said. “But those are things that can be changed.”

Wells, also the president of Shekinah Ministries, said she hopes the show is the start of something bigger. “I think those colleges really enjoyed it. This really brought us together,” she said.

Latrecia Jones, a junior, has been a member of A&T’s gospel choir for one year. She thinks the concert went really well and even though the concert seemed long to some, she did not really notice how late it was.

“To be honest, it is kind of hard to measure time when you’re up there,” Jones said. “We went on first and then we watched the rest of the choirs.”

Jones said that the people who attended the concert got the opportunity “to see what’s out there.”

• Tiffany S. Jones