Frequently Asked Questions
Gospel music is just for churches, right?
Not at all. In fact, in recent years we’ve probably raised the roof at more secular celebrations than religious ones. As long as you’re looking for joyful, energetic music, it doesn’t matter whether yours is a Humanist celebration, a civil ceremony, or whether you’re one of the 1,800 people who identified as Jedi on the most recent Irish census – we’re the group for you.
What is the line-up of the Gospel Project Vocal Ensemble?
The Vocal Ensemble is a 6-piece outfit comprised of five singers (2 male, 3 female) and piano player. Because we’re all multi-instrumentalists, this same line-up includes guitar, percussion and violin, so you really get your money’s worth! The Vocal Ensemble is the one we recommend for wedding ceremonies – please visit our Weddings page for further info. We provide a top quality sound system for all our performances. The group can be augmented with extra singers if you require a larger ensemble for your wedding or function (see below).
Can you only perform gospel music? What if I want something from another genre?
One of the great things about The Gospel Project is our versatility. In addition to our 5 superb vocalists (3 female, 2 male) and our piano player, our talents run to playing percussion, violin, and guitar – meaning as well as roof-raising gospel tunes we can provide a wide variety of music in alternative genres. We’ve performed everything from Italian opera, to trad, to bluegrass at wedding ceremonies, so don’t be afraid to ask – if you can think of it, we can probably make it happen! And as you’ll see below, all of our musical arrangements are custom-made for each client, so it doesn’t have to be a gospel song for us to create a really special version for your big day.
We’re constantly updating our repertoire because we prepare new material for each wedding ceremony (see below) so if you’d like a glimpse of our current repertoire please Contact Us
Do I have to choose from the songs in your repertoire or can I have other songs for my wedding ceremony?
We’re more than happy to prepare up to two new songs for each wedding ceremony, in addition to our substantial existing repertoire.
We don’t purchase generic vocal arrangements, we create them all ourselves. So if you have a specific song you’d like to walk down the aisle to that is not part of our repertoire, we’ll be delighted to arrange it especially for your wedding ceremony, in 6-part harmony. This musical arrangement is then unique to your ceremony. We request that you clear any new songs with your celebrant before we start preparing them. Please note that we require at least 4 weeks’ notice per new song.
I’m not sure what kind of songs are sung at different points during the wedding ceremony. Can you help?
Absolutely, we’re here to help. We will happily assist you in choosing appropriate songs for the various stages of the ceremony. If yours is a Humanist or Spiritualist ceremony, you essentially have free rein to choose whatever music you’d like for your celebration, whether you’re a death metal fan or a lover of Italian opera. You’ll work with your celebrant to devise a ceremony that suits you both, including whatever readings and gestures you’d like, and then with your musicians to fit the music around that.
In the Catholic mass, we would normally perform at 12-14 points ; approximately 7 full-length songs in addition to the 4 mass parts (Gloria, Hallelujah etc…) a psalm, and, usually, some instrumental music at the two candle lighting ceremonies.
In the Church of Ireland tradition, it’s normal to have a number of congregational hymns that your guests will join in with, in addition to the songs that your professional musicians will perform at moments such as the bridal entrance, Communion, Signing of the Register and Exit. We’ve got some great posts that dive a bit further into this topic – don’t forget to check them out!
I’ve heard a lot of scare stories about ‘banned lists’. Will I be allowed to have the songs I want at a Catholic wedding ceremony?
All of the songs we perform at Catholic weddings have a religious message and we have rarely met with any objections to our singing them in church. However, in practise this depends entirely on the individual priest rather on the rules of the church, and so we strongly recommend that you consult with the celebrant about your choice of songs, particularly if we are preparing special requests for you that we have not sung at weddings before. You’ll find our recent post about this topic super-helpful if you’re worried about this!
Do The Gospel Project perform at corporate events?
Yes. Please see our Professional Events page for further information.
Do The Gospel Project perform at funerals?
Yes. We have a select repertoire of more solemn music, sacred and secular, that is suitable for funeral services. Please contact us for availability and further information.
The Gospel Project write original material too, where can I hear some of that?
Our current single Heard You Call My Name, is available on iTunes 
Yours for just 99c!
Our debut album, On the Outside, is available from Tower Records, Road Records and Sound Cellar in Dublin, and at all of our live performances, as well as from CDBaby and iTunes:
I would like to hear the group before booking you. What is the best way to do this?
As well as our extensive range of YouTube videos, you can check out some recordings of The Gospel Project on our Sounds page. If you’d prefer to receive an old-school CD we’ll happily send you a complimentary copy by post; just send an e-mail with your postal address and we’ll get one in the mail to you. Be assured that, uniquely on the Irish gospel scene, we are not a subset of a larger community choir, but a standalone 6-piece ensemble comprised of professional musicians, so our recordings/videos are a true snapshot of the ensemble you would have performing at your wedding ceremony.
How far in advance do I need to book the Gospel Project for a wedding/function?
We accept bookings up to 24 months in advance. We recommend early booking, particularly if you are getting married on a Saturday, or during the summer months.
Are The Gospel Project available for events on weekdays?
Yes. For the 6 members of The Gospel Project (Vocal Ensemble), music is our profession.
What does the group wear when performing?
Our current wedding attires is electric blue kimono-style dresses (for the ladies!) and smart black with an electric blue tie for the men. Previously we all wore black with purple ties.
I would like more than six performers for my wedding. Is this possible?
Yes, we can provide extra singers or musicians (such as bass guitar or percussion) if you would like a bigger sound. For a quote please Contact Us
Where do The Gospel Project source their vocal arrangements?
All of our arrangements are prepared especially for The Gospel Project by the group’s director, Cathy McEvoy. A selection of Cathy’s arrangements is available from www.cathymcevoy.com
Do the Gospel Project play at weddings/functions outside of Dublin?
We are happy to play up to 300km (600km round-trip) from our base in Dublin. For rates, please Contact Us
Do the Gospel Project do any recording work with other bands/songwriters?
The Gospel Project have considerable experience recording jingles as well as original material by other artists. For rates, Contact Us.
Are the Gospel Project available for charity gigs?
The Gospel Project are happy to perform at charity gigs, however it is not possible for us to participate in all of the events we are invited to play at. Please inquire well in advance of the event and we will do our very best to help.