It started with a delicate a cappella harmony. Barely more than a whisper, it forced everyone to listen hard to pay attention to the five young men in black shirts.
Then it exploded into thunderous foot stomping, clapping and spoken-word rhythms with an anti-drug, pro-Jesus message — the Warriors 4 Christ were on the stage.
In the back, 5-year-old Marcellus Wiggins of Sterling mimicked the young men's actions. Just a step or two behind, Marcellus' arms and feet tried to keep up with the choreographed foot-pounding. "They were good," he said after the men left.
On Sunday, Feb. 20, the five-man step group started off the 20th annual Black Heritage Music Festival at the First Baptist Church of Vienna. In the past, the festival has taken place at Fairfax High School, but it moved this year to Vienna.
In addition to showcasing a variety of musical styles, the festival acts as a fund-raiser for a scholarship program sponsored by the Fairfax County Women in National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
"The NAACP continues to provide support throughout the communities," said Myra Coates of McLean, who attends the festival every year.
Gospel anthems were another main feature of the festival. The Christian Way Baptist Church Harmonizers of the Christian Way Baptist Church in Falls Church, and the Male Chorus of the Antioch Baptist Church in Fairfax Station, each sang traditional slower-tempo music.
The headliners of the night had come a long way. The Bullock Sons and the Bullock Brothers, two generations of performers based in Boston, Mass., made the trip to Vienna to put on their show.
They started slowly but by the end of their respective sets had nearly the entire audience up, dancing in the pews and clapping along and waving their arms with the beats that shook the building and pounded in their chests.
The festival also served as an opportunity to recognize that this year is the 90th anniversary of the Fairfax County Chapter of the NAACP. Del. Steve Shannon (D-35th) presented the Rev. Ronald Winters, president of the Fairfax County NAACP, with a resolution from the Virginia General Assembly honoring the group's 90 years of fighting for equal rights.
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors chairman Gerry Connolly (D-At large) was also present and commended the group on its accomplishments.
The Fairfax County chapter was formed to fight a discriminatory housing policy in Falls Church in 1915. "In 1915, it took a lot of courage to oppose that ordinance, but they did it," Connolly said.