Joyful! returns to Epcot for the 2010 Holiday Season.
This blog is from a 2009 performance!
New to Epcot’s Holidays Around the World in 2009 is D’Vine Voices who perform four times daily on the Future World Fountain Stage. D’Vine Voices is comprised of 16 artists and musicians (12 vocalists, 4 musicians – drums, bass, 2 keyboard). Some are native Central Floridians; others are transplants from across the USA and the world. Today, they all call Central Florida home. Not all members performed together before, but they came together as D’vine Voices for this engagement.
Do not miss this energetic inspirational group! They are sure to have you clapping, humming and dancing as their performance unfolds.
The versatile ensemble, led by DaVonda Simmons, was inspired by choir rehearsals at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in Eatonville. They combine the sounds of Jazz, R&B and urban music into holiday song!
Each 25 minute show is a bit different and their repertoire includes arrangements of standards such as “Hark! The Herald Angels”, “Silent Night”, and “Go Tell It on the Mountain”, contemporary holiday gospel songs such as “Joyful, Joyful” and “Season of Joy”, and secular holiday favorites such as “This Christmas” and “That’s What Christmas Means to Me”.
Some of these talented singers may look familiar to you as they have performed in Central Florida and at Walt Disney World in the past:
DaVonda Simmons (Founder/Director) – Ms. Simmons has been seen in Orlando at Downtown Disney’s Pleasure Island Jazz Company, Sea World, The Blue Zoo, City Jazz at Universal Studios, and the Blue Martini in Tampa, Florida.
Meka King – Meka has also performed at several Central Florida Theme Parks: Walt Disney World (Lion King), Universal Studios Florida (Blues Brothers), Sea World (Miracles) and Cirque Du Soleil (La Nouba).
Van Dobbins III has performed as “Nakawa” in Disney’s Festival of the Lion at Disney World.
Robert Wawoe is also employed by the Walt Disney Company as cast member, and has performed with American VYBE, Tarzan Rocks, Tomorrowland Countdown, Mainstreet Philharmonic and Epcot’s Mo’Rockin.
My girlfriend and I walked up a couple of minutes before Joyful”s performance not knowing what we were about to see. What followed was one of the most moving events of our 2 days at the park. The energy and professional level of this gospel band singing and praising God left me out of breath and eyes watering. We danced and moved and held our hands in the air and were just overcome by the tightness and energy of this group. As a musician myself I was floored at the talent of the instrumentalists and any one in that band could be playing in any professional, national act out there. They are straight up talented monster players!!! I was stunned by the negative comments about this group This band should be famous!!
December 2010
I can’t believe that anyone who heard them did not love this music. I never really listened to gospel music before but they (D’vine Voices) are inspirational (yes, Joyful!).
Thank you Disney for providing this wonderful entertainment.
I very much enjoyed D’Vine Voices. Perhaps their style might not be someone else’s cup of tea but I found them to be very good and I could understand every word. One thing I really like about Disney is the wide variation of cultural and musical groups or performances you can watch and hear. While there are some that are not my thing it’s at least interesting and I appreciate the talent. The crowd was enjoying the performance and enjoying the energy and message of the show. I would vote to have them at Disney again in the future.
I saw this show yesterday, and it was AMAZING!!! The singing and music was awesome! We were dancing and singing along the whole time. I grew up with many of the songs and a lot of the songs they sang, we sing in our church today. It was 100% Gospel music and I’m glad to see Disney offer the show in appreciation of the genre…
I’m shocked at some of the negative comments…To say the show was horrible is a bit much…Maybe not one’s taste, but very, very far from horrible or worthy of the tone of the negativity…Looking around at the folks standing and sitting to hear, it’s apparent that the negative folks here weren’t in attendance…I didn’t see anybody who didn’t enjoy the show…
Merry Christmas!
Loved the show. The music was quite nice. I was a little alarmed at some of the negative commentary- I mean if you don’t like certain musical styles like gospel or country etc., that’s fine, but my goodness. Even worse are the posters who feel that Disney should pull the show simply because they don’t like it!
I for one have no interest in country music, but I would never dream of writing Disney and asking that they discontinue, let’s say, The Hoop Dee Do musical revue, or any other country inspired act that they may have at WDW!
I didnt find anything great about this group last year, but this year was a totally different story!!!! I heard them twice and made it apoint to see them a second time this year as they are just wonderful!!! I too miss the Lights of Winter arches, and would love to see them back in addition to this talented bunch of singers. Also I noticed a LOT of Christmas decorations this year were missing from the parks and resorts. Part of the joy of being in the parks at this time of the year is seeing the amazing job Disney does on decorations for the holidays. Don’t cut back on this wonderful tradition!!! Merry Christmas everyone!!!
It’s a cultural thing. If you can’t understand and appreciate this type of culture, you’re not going to like their music. It’s not my preference, but I guess they’re pretty good for what it is.
I think it’s Great that we have a Joyfull to celebration this season. It’s wonderfull!
I am so glad to see them back this year! Their song have a heavy Gospel influence (think Mahalia Jackson) and they choose songs that are what Christmas is all about, the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. I get goose bumps every time I hear them sing. They are very talented individually and as a group, so to hear their solos is spectacular. Yesterday I saw families sitting on blankets in front of the stage listening to them. A wonderful tradition to start. EPCOT is about bringing all nations and cultures together and about constant change. I think this addition to EPCOT is a wonderful breath of fresh air. I can’t wait to see them again.
Sorry to see they are back again. I had hoped they were a one year mistake. Bring back the Arches and all the missing Disney traditions. It is too bad you are forced to walk with ear shot of them to get to World Showcase! I for one will be avoiding them.We have 3 overnight trips planned between now and just before Christmas Day. This year 2 other couples will be join us to see Whoopi do Candlelight.It is a first Christmas time trip for one couple. Last year her choral group was in Rome to sing before the Pope. I hope D’Vine are break (a very long one) when they go by. I will be interest in Rosilee’s comment on their sound. Someone said that you must be offended by Christian Music, I don’t what they were “singing” , but it like no Christian Music I have ever heard.
Loved D’Vine Voices! How anyone could think they weren’t fantastic is beyond me. Maybe it was the Christian songs that offended some, but isn’t Christmas about Christ? Wish they had a CD.
I came across these comments and couldn’t believe what I was reading!!!! This group was terrific!!! I’m on this site trying to find out if they have a cd out!! I loved them!
All Ears Note: I was told they do not have a CD, at least not as of December 2009.
I have to agree with some of the other comments that this was a horrible act to put on the fountain stage. There was nothing magical about the group. Having the fountain just dance like normal would have been better. Hopefully next year if they decide to have them back they will place them in another location or even another park.
We went back to Epcot to Whoppee Goldberg in Candlelight Sunday. It’s only a 1hr 45 min for us. She was the best of the 3 presenters we saw this year. Other the cool wind, the only downside was we could hear D’Vine as we walked. Hope this is their one and only year!
While I, too, very much miss the arches and the Santa hat on the MGM tower (sorry, it will always be MGM to me), I LOVED D’vine Voices! They were lively, fun, talented and gave wonderful performances. I’m happy for this addition to Epcot at the holidays.
P.S. Can anything be done to bring the arches back??
Recently returned from a long visit to WDW from 11/19/09 – 12/05/09 and saw more than one perfomrance of D’Vine Voices. There was nothing special about them, and certainly did not invoke any Christmas or Disney magic. I agree w/Mr. Riley’s post, as we were extremely disappointed with the loss of the Fountain of Nations dancing to the Christmas music– my son sobbed for hours because it was his favorite Christmas tradition at Disney. We also really missed Arches and the Christmas tree lighting ceremony. As a DVC member and Passholder, I have written to guest relations to express our disappointment.
Could not disagree more with you!!! The few words we could understand were not from any CHRISTMAS song we ever heard. Most of the time what ever they “sang” was among the worst atempts I have ever heard. It was said someplace else in this website they were replacement for the Arches of Lights that we loved. WDW every year takes something away from their Christmas displays. Remember the Santa hat on the Earfel Tower, The Christmas Bears, the Arches!!!!, Night before Christmas from MVMCP, and I could go on!
I heard them perform on our recent trip. They were great. I wish I had a CD of their performance.