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Southwestern Michigan College’s ninth and largest choir camp culminated July 24 with a free public concert in the theatre of the Dale A. Lyons Building.

Fifty-six area students from age  13 through high school and 28 other singers, including alumni, put 84 voices on stage, clapping and bouncing exuberantly to such gospel numbers as Kirk Franklin’s “Brighter Day.”

Director of Choral Activities David Carew attributed the record turnout to several factors — recruiting as far away as Allegan County, the return of dynamic guest clinician Curtis Gulledge, who went through college at Western Michigan University (1999) and toured Russia with Carew, and the support of SMC alumni who have joined the professional directing ranks.

Gulledge, a Benton Harbor native, is based in Orlando. Fla. He taught vocal music in Covert, 2006-11.

“Usually I have a week to prepare before handing them over to a clinician,” Carew said. “Curtis is the first one I’ve invited back, so he’s been here in residency all week. He was here just a couple of days last year.”

“He wanted to infuse (camp) with his experience and knowledge of gospel music, which is often improvised,” Carew said. “We have music as a reference, but it’s done in a very organic process. The spirit and energy bring something special.”

Carew’s three selections bring a “more traditional choral experience” with a German piece by Robert Schumann, “Zigeunerleben”; “Cantate Domino” by Claudio Monteverdi, a composer of both secular and sacred music who pioneered development of opera and was a crucial transitional figure between the Renaissance and Baroque periods; and “Obey the Spirit of the Lord” featuring a tenor solo by Gulledge.

Gulledge also led the choir on “God Great God” and “Even Me.”

“He specifically wrote a piece for this show (‘Yea God’),” Carew said. “There’s no music, it’s just rote, with him teaching the parts.

“It’s a really nice mix of things and the students are doing a great job of being flexible with a variety of choral experiences. He’s such a great artist, I’ve always had a special place in my heart for him.”

Choir camp singers included: sopranos Hailey Amster, Brandywine; Adison Ashley, Dowagiac; Mercedes Camberos, Fennville; Atlas Dykstra, Paw Paw; Lillianna Dykstra-Roelofs, Portage Northern; Layla Emrick, Portage Northern, Carmen Garcia, Fennville; Ava Heasley, Portage Northern; Natalie Lentz, South Haven; Ahana Mallick, Portage Northern; Anna Martini, Portage Northern; Emily Meade, Constantine; Kiera Morey, Paw Paw; Allison Ott, Berrien Springs; Brenna Rogers, Paw Paw; Serenity Stinton, Paw Paw; Isabelle Sturgeon, Portage Northern; Samantha Sunie, Portage Northern; and Leah Vingsness, Edwardsburg.

Altos, Teagan Baxter, Niles; Mercedes Baird, Buchanan; Natyla Brookins, Dowagiac; Nevaeh Cruz, Paw Paw; BraeLyn Fletcher, home school; Eliana Gil, Portage Northern; Carly Glaser, Mattawan; Rylee Long, Hastings; Ava Martin, Paw Paw; Hannah Matthews, Portage Northern; Marlee Nead, Fennville; Aliah Russell, Niles; Zoey Schiele, Paw Paw; MaKendra Shew, Paw Paw; Isabella Steadman, Niles; and Maddie Wares, Dowagiac.

Tenors, Brady Halvorsen, Paw Paw; Cosmo Hopson, Fennville; Gavin Krause, Paw Paw; Alexander Lentz, Paw Paw; Samuel Lockwood, Portage Northern; Haydn Perkins, Paw Paw; Alex Zamora, Paw Paw; Jude Skinner, home school; Michael Touchtone, Paw Paw; and Peyton Williamston, Dowagiac.

Bass, Jay Jay Altwies, Portage Northern; Carter Gould, Portage Northern; Ryley Imus, Paw Paw; Eli Kortman, Paw Paw; Jack Lewis, Mattawan; Dominique Long, Hastings; Zachary Mitchell, Paw Paw; Jaxon Shidler, Niles; Elijah Skinner, home school; and Matthew Wares, Dowagiac.

Auxiliary singers included: sopranos Jersey Baker, Grace Bruntz, Eleanor Bussler, Keely Williamson, Kacie Mercer, Katie Persak, Sarah Skinner, Jillian Torbet and Chelsea Whiteoak; altos Grace Phillips, Hunter Hurley, Stephanie Pollard, Shannon Durden, Da’Shonae Reeves, Jessica Schuur, Norah Skinner, Michelle Warner and Sarah Bussler; tenors P.J. Fraczek, Nick Shelton, Michael Hayes, Payton Tucker and Maxwell Wagner; and bass, David Carew, Hunter Schuur, Lucian Preston, Jake Richcreek and Nathan Shelton.