ST. LOUIS — For nearly four hours on a recent Monday night, about 7,000 people, almost all of them African-American, made a joyful noise unto the Lord — singing along with gospel classics, cheering on their favorite choir and praising God.

They were attending the St. Louis regional finals for "How Sweet the Sound: The Search for the Best Church Choir in America."

The evening was organized by sponsor Verizon Wireless as a straight-forward competition among eight church choirs. But by the end of the night, contestants and audience members alike had participated in a powerful, if brief, moment of racial harmony.

Racism has been a nasty undercurrent in plenty of national and local debates over the last six months. Many commentators, including former President Jimmy Carter, have suggested racism is at the root of the virulent opposition to many of President Barack Obama's policy proposals.

And despite backtracking by police who first floated the theory, many who have watched the videotape are convinced that a recent attack on a white Belleville West High School student in Belleville, Ill., by black teens was racially motivated.

Religion is often cited as evil's root cause, but on this late September night, faith partnered with music to serve as a balm for our racial ills.

Gospel music itself was founded within an institution that embodied evil — the American slave trade. For generations, African-Americans have stayed in touch with their past through their churches, transforming a distinct style of musical worship from harrowing history into celebration. "African-Americans have a way of delivering a song with a certain spirit," said Anita Watkins Stevens, director of music ministries at New Sunny Mount Missionary Baptist Church in north St. Louis.

Stevens leads New Sunny Mount's choir, which came into Monday night's contest at Scottrade as the defending champion. Last year, its choir won the overall prize and went on to compete in the national finals in Atlanta.

"How Sweet the Sound" organizers asked choirs from across the country to audition via a DVD performance. Judges chose eight choirs — four of 35 members or fewer, and four of 36 members and up — to perform.

Of the eight choirs competing Monday night, three were mostly white. And one after another, they sang traditionally African-American gospel songs in an African-American style, surprising — and delighting — the crowd and judges. But it was the choir from Festus that brought the audience to its feet. Most of the choirs performed wearing colorful choir robes. One was costumed in traditional African garb. All 75 Faith Baptist choir members walked onstage in either a black cocktail dress or a tuxedo. Choir director Michael Nickelson wore black tails.

All night, there had been an aura of insider knowledge to "How Sweet the Sound." The judges included the Rev. Marvin Sapp, a Michigan pastor and gospel superstar, and gospel legend Dorinda Clark Cole. This was an audience that knew gospel music, and that made Nickelson and some choir members nervous.

"I thought we might be made fun of," choir member Jenny Horn said later. Nickelson said he thought his choir "might look like a bunch of wannabes."

He kicked his legs as he summoned certain notes. He may have attempted a moon walk. The crowd roared its approval. Choir members got into the spirit, too, clapping and moving their bodies to the music. When Faith Baptist finished, a standing ovation was unnecessary. Audience members were already on their feet. The judges seemed equally amazed. "I have never seen a white brother move like that," said Cole, speaking of Nickelson's performance.

By the end of the night, Faith Baptist had won the audience award, the large choir award and the overall best choir award. In November, the choir will compete in the finals in Detroit.

Nickelson said later that Faith Baptist's audition DVD was nothing like its performance Monday. The choir's musical style is typical of large contemporary Christian evangelical churches — an up-tempo, soft-rock feel. Nickelson said he realized his choir's version of the song needed more life.

He wasn't sure how to achieve that, but then, in the weeks before the competition, Nickelson saw something he thought could help. While watching Michael Jackson's memorial service, he noticed that as the singer's casket was brought into the Staples Center, a choir sang "Soon and Very Soon."

"They started slow and built the tempo up to the third verse," Nickelson said. "I thought, 'we've got to try that.'"