Singing Praises of Gospel : Music: 2 San Gabriel Valley choirs take their spirited--and innovative--styles to the fifth annual McDonald’s Gospel Fest--the largest competition of its kind in Southern California.

For Renard Howard, the message of gospel music is one of hope, a message that is as necessary today as when gospel music was first sung.

But while the message remains the same, Howard wants to make sure that the music changes with the times to make gospel accessible to more and more people, so he incorporates electronic instruments and even rap rhythms when appropriate.

Howard may be on the brink of reaching more people than he ever thought possible.

On Saturday, the 35-year-old Diamond Bar resident will direct the New Providence Baptist Church Choir in the fifth annual McDonald’s Gospel Fest, one of the largest gospel music competitions in the Southland, at 7 p.m. in the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

The West Covina-based New Providence group and the Praise Gospel Singers of Pasadena are two of the eight finalists in the gospel music talent search that began four months ago. The search took in 40 church and community amateur choirs in Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

The winner of the competition will appear on a nationally syndicated gospel television show and the proceeds from the event--about $25,000--will be donated to the United Negro College Fund.

Howard’s 35-member choir will receive a good-luck send-off dinner and give a short performance at the McDonald’s restaurant at 100 N. Azusa Ave., West Covina, at 6:45 p.m. tonight.

Gospel music--a combination of blues and hymns--takes a twist toward the contemporary under Howard, with the goal of making the music and its message more accessible to those outside religious circles. The choir uses not only an electronic piano and an organ, but also features a lead electric guitar, a bass guitar and bongos and congos. The choir also performs a rap song they hope will reach young people.

“We’re talking about hearing the word of Jesus through our rap song as opposed to ‘Come on, baby’ or whatever they have these days,” said Howard, a salesman for an auto parts company. “We send a message to young and old that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is still alive and mainly that there is hope for people.”

For the Praise Gospel Singers of Pasadena, the message was evident in the intensity of a Gospel Fest rehearsal earlier this week.

“Life is rough, so a lot of times what we like to do when we are singing is to uplift you,” said Melida Skeete-Smith, director of the group. “I don’t care who you are, somewhere along the line, you’ve been through something that really has shaken you spiritually, your soul, whatever. The songs we like to do offer hope.”

Skeete-Smith’s hope is translated into an intense musical experience as she pounded on her electric keyboard, showing the passion of her beliefs and the music on her face. The other members of the choir also show the depth and energy of their music as they go through rehearsal.

“It’s very personal, it’s very deep what happens inside,” said Judy Zigler who sings soprano in the 17 member all-women choir. “If you’re really appreciating God inside, there’s no way you can sit back and not be very spiritual and energetic.”

“The energy comes from believing in what you’re singing about,” said Kathy Williams, who was recruited by the choir for the Gospel Fest in order to fulfill a 15-member requirement.

“Our goal is to reach people and to let them know if they are not aware of the love of God,” summed up Skeete-Smith.

Both choirs have shared their message with the community through concerts in prisons, concerts to help the homeless and a concert to promote religious freedom.

The New Providence Choir plans to spread its message even further by making a record album. The venture would cost about $5,000, Howard said, money that would be raised by the group’s performances.

Howard said the exposure from the Gospel Fest has already helped tremendously, adding that he has been forced to turned down requests to perform. He hopes the Gospel Fest will promote not only his choir’s future but also that of gospel music in general.

“So many times local choirs don’t get the exposure . . . there’s only so many people out there that listen to gospel music,” he said.