In the opening moments of “Stay Prayed Up,” the clear and enjoyable documentary about a gospel music ensemble, a young boy waves the viewer into a bright white church that almost glows in the North Carolina sun. There the Branchettes perform and record a live album. The laughing child promises that the procedure will be “church-like” and that you may find some friends inside.
The film cannot be called world historical or anything like that. But the group, led by Lena Mae Perry (and backed by instrumentalists called Guitarheels), is inspiring in the way they shake the rafters and bring peace to the valley.
Perry, a singer in her 80s and the guiding light of the Branchettes, is both formidable and gentle. A powerful alto, she founded the group in the early 1970s with two now deceased comrades, Ethel Elliott and Mary Ellen Bennett. The trio forged a distinctive three-part harmony, eventually building a following in the state.
Perry grew up on a tobacco plantation and proudly recalls her expertise in tying tobacco leaves. The work was not difficult, she insists; it was just what her family did. She recalls her experiences of racism with a similar equanimity, no doubt a result of her religiosity—a belief in the gospel of love that seems profound but not overly dogmatic.
Her group now spans several generations. Guitarheels leader Phil Cook, a Wisconsin pianist, sheepishly admits his first introduction to music was through the 1993 Whoopi Goldberg comedy “Sister Act 2.”
Directed by DL Anderson and Matthew Durning, this film was produced under the banner of Spiritual Helpline, which is also the name of the Cook-founded record label that made the Branchettes’ live album. As self-promotion goes, this is an effort of integrity and goodwill, and contains a lot of punchy music that more or less sells itself.
keep praying
Not judged. Running time: 1 hour 10 minutes. In theaters.
