By Shealagh Sullivan
Contributing Writer
SOUTHBOROUGH — David Joyner didn’t always know he could sing.
Holding a tune was one thing, he said. But performing? That was another story.
It wasn’t until 2019 when he was caroling for a work event that a coworker said he should join a choir — the Boston Pops Gospel Choir, to be specific. Joyner was hesitant. He said he could think of plenty of reasons why he couldn’t be up on stage, never mind audition.
It wasn’t until after the COVID-19 pandemic that the same coworker pressed him again. This time — with some encouragement — Joyner auditioned in March 2023.
At 61 years old, he was accepted into the Pops, his first-ever choir.
Photo/Courtesy of David Joyner
Member of several choirs
Now, the Southborough resident is an active member of several choirs, including the Joyful Voices of Inspiration (JVOI) and the Millennium Gospel Choir. He’s performed at Symphony Hall, the Museum of Fine Arts, and historic churches in Portugal. He will travel to Peru to sing in July.
“It feels like home when I sing with these choirs and sing this music,” Joyner said.
He rehearses several times a week, on top of working full-time at Bank of America, and also practices with a vocal coach.
“I love it so much that it doesn’t seem like work. It seems it’s just as soon as I walk into a rehearsal space, I’m at home with my fellow choir mates,” Joyner said.
Since Joyner can’t read music, he learns primarily through listening. Over and over he’ll listen to his vocal track and rehearse until he has it down. For him, singing is more than just hitting the right notes – it’s about communicating a message to the audience.
“When we perform, the reactions we get from audiences are amazing. You get this high from it. … I almost don’t notice how much time I spend doing it, because I love it so much,” he said.
When he first started singing, Joyner said he didn’t quite have the confidence to audition for solos. Now, he’s shared his voice with people around the world.
Community involvement
Prior to joining choirs, Joyner was part of several Southborough town committees, including the Youth Commission and the Community Preservation Committee. He’s still involved locally with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.
He also recently joined a band in Southborough, thanks to his neighbor. While their name has yet to be determined, the group sings everything from rock and soul to pop.
While gospel music has been his niche, it wasn’t a genre he grew up with. Joyner was raised Catholic, and didn’t feel the same connection to the music in services as he does now.
“I think the music kind of speaks to you spiritually,” he said.
“I listen to what I’m singing and listen to what we sing as a choir, and then see how people react to it … and people just are on their feet, just experiencing it, you can see the music kind of going through them,” he added.
But for Joyner, it’s all about community. From his fellow choir members to his daughter, who is pursuing singing professionally, his journey with music hasn’t been one he’s made by himself.
“You don’t do this kind of stuff alone. You do it as part of a community,” Joyner said.
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