The African-American Voices Gospel Choir had the audience shouting, dancing and clapping at its annual spring concert Saturday.

The choir performed for a full Hitchcock Hall to celebrate its 16th anniversary.

Half performance, half Christian worship, the show was an energetic, uplifting crowd-pleaser.

The Expressions of Worship mime team opened the show. Dressed in black with white gloves and painted faces, the seven-member group gave a unique performance.

Next, the group Edify came on. While the group sang and danced, the first few rows of people danced and sang along with them. Nice harmony and an excellent male solo made the group’s performance memorable.

The entire show was crowd-interactive. Before the full choir came out, the audience was encouraged to get up and stretch to get ready for the show. At various times, the audience was also asked to sing along or pray with the choir.

One of the many highlights of the show was the choir’s accompanying band on the song “Giants.” Guitars, drums and even a trombone made this piece an instant favorite. Choir and audience members alike never stopped clapping and dancing to this energetic piece.

Also memorable was the saxophone in the jazz-inspired “Everything Will Be Alright.”

The show incorporated nice visuals as well. A big screen behind the choir played slide shows at various times throughout the night. These presentations spanned a variety of topics from the choir’s history to a presentation about music as encouragement and hope for slaves.

The Dancing to Zion dance team gave an entertaining performance, at one point dancing up the aisles.

The choir itself was impressive as the members could sing, dance and clap without missing a beat. Members flexed their vocal muscles with a variety of songs, such as the slow, soulful “Oh the Blood” and the lively “Matthew 28.”

Alumni joined the choir for its final song, “Bless the Lord.” In typical nature, the infectious energy of the choir spread through the audience, as the crowd rose to its feet while bouncing and singing along.

The three-hour show was a bit long, but the lively performances of the choir and the band kept the audience dancing until the end.

Elizabeth Mathis can be reached at [email protected].