Around 600 people gathered at Armagh Road Presbyterian Church, Portadown, Co. Armagh on Sunday 2nd April 1944 for a special evening service with Reverend GFH Wynne and Reverend JS Woods.
He had arranged for a visiting choir of black soldiers from the United States Army based in Northern Ireland to provide the music for the evening. Unfortunately, the soldiers lost their way somewhere in Co. Antrim and arrived just over 2 hours late.
Despite having received a phone call to let them know the troops were bound for the church, the congregation dismissed at 2045hrs. Not everyone left, however, and the 200 people who remained at the church until just after 2100hrs enjoyed a wonderful evening. The musical entertainment took place in the schoolroom next to the main church building. The troops, led by Sergeant Quentin Cyrus, performed a range of spirituals including ‘Steal Away’, and ‘A Little Talk With Jesus’.
After the service, members of the congregation provided supper. Mr. WD Morrow performed several more spirituals on the piano. Everyone joined in singing ‘Steal Away’, ‘Walk Over God’s Heaven’, ‘Deep River’, ‘Swing Low Sweet Chariot’, ‘Nobody Knows The Trouble I’ve Seen’, and ‘Tell Me The Old Old Story’.
During World War Two, many black soldiers of the US Army came to Northern Ireland. It was the first place that many of them had been free of segregation.