'AGT' Season 17: Fans can't believe Sing Harlem turned Lifeway Worship's 'Amazing Grace' into bop

Simon requests Sing Harlem's second preference for their audition and they absolutely slay it
Sing Harlem in 'AGT' Season 17 (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC)
Sing Harlem in 'AGT' Season 17 (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC)

During the seventh audition episode of 'America's Got Talent,' the Sing Harlem choir is among the contestants who take the stage. Vy Higginsen, a radio presenter and producer, created the choir in 2006 and accompanied them to the audition.

Howie Mandel was once more pretty much absent on the 'AGT' episode on July 19th. Fortunately, it had no impact on the show or the performers. Speaking of talent, Sing Harlem was established to serve as the breakthrough choir at the School of Gospel, Jazz, and R&B Arts at Mama Foundation for the Arts. The choir has evolved to be a highly acclaimed and influential force in the New York gospel industry, producing not just excellent vocalists but also top-tier global citizens under the supervision of Ahmaya Knoelle Higginson.

ALSO READ

Hayley Hasselhoff shows off her famous curves as she shatters beauty standards at Miami Swim Week

The Horrifying Last Days of Little Charlie: Officials under fire after 6-yr-old dies of UTTER NEGLECT

Sing Harlem in 'AGT' Season 17 (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC)
Sing Harlem in 'AGT' Season 17 (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC)

The group Sing Harlem, led by director Ahmaya Knoelle, enters the stage and introduces itself as well-known in the community. They claimed that they sang throughout their community and throughout all five boroughs of New York City. When asked how they differ from a regular choir, Knoelle explains that she trained the group when they were between the ages of 11 and all grown up and that now that they are between the ages of 12 and 20, they are a close-knit and loving bunch. They open with En Vogue's 'Free Your Mind,' which Simon Cowell finds unappealing. He requests that they perform a song for which they haven't prepared.

He continues by saying that he is a little unsure of them because they resemble a musical more than a choir. He asked them to do an "audition as a choir" ensemble. Simon instructs them to omit the track from their second performance when they mention it. Then they start Lifeway Worship's "Amazing Grace! How Sweet the Sound." Moses, a 14-year-old boy whom Simon refers to as a "star," steals the show. Heidi claims he truly likes them, particularly Knoelle because of her incredible energy. She also says that she enjoyed the dance and thinks the group sings nicely together. While these sounded wonderful, Heidi pointed out that following Simon's instructions is not always simple.

Sofia Vergara acknowledges that there was too much going on at first, which distracted her a little bit. However, the ensemble as a whole shone with Knoelle's backing, making it lovely to witness. In his candid assessment, Simon gave them some suggestions on how to strike a balance between doing what they want to do—which he applauds them for—and not diverging too much from the song's intended direction that listeners won't be able to distinguish them. He inquires about Knoelle's impression of the performance, and she responds that they have worked very hard and will keep working hard. In the end, all three judges give the choir group three "yeses."

Fans on social media mostly enjoyed the performance, especially after their second shot at the audition. A tweet read: "Sing Harlem's song choice is bringing me back to my middle school days.... #AGT."



 

One fan wrote: "Sing it, Sing Harlem! #AGT."



 

Another fan tweeted: "Sing Harlem was amazing I loved it #AGT."



 

TOP STORIES

Tale of TikTok perverts: Moms are deleting ALL videos of their children as creeps follow toddler Wren Eleanor

Republican bill requires fathers to pay child support for UNBORN BABIES

However, some felt the choir group didn't move them enough even. "I don't doubt they are good, but sing Harlem is not getting me here. #AGT."



 

'America's Got Talent' airs on Tuesdays at 8 pm on NBC. For viewers who wish to tune in to the show without cable, they can do so using any of the following streaming services: Sling TV, fuboTV, Hulu With Live TV, AT&T TV or YouTube TV.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.

GET THE BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT STORIES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

A dangerous former client targets top divorce attorney Allura Grant with a series of escalating attacks before holding her hostage at gunpoint
2026-11-05T08:27:49.000Z
Joe Miñoso left 'Chicago Fire' in the procedural's momentous 300th episode
2026-11-05T07:53:12.000Z
‘Chicago Fire’ honors a fan favorite character in its 300th episode
2026-11-05T05:51:40.000Z
‘Chicago Med’ focuses on Dr Wu’s pursuit of the Chief Resident position in its latest episode
2026-11-05T04:50:53.000Z
Tomlin risks Cruz’s job to convince Severide in the latest episode of ‘Chicago Fire’
2026-11-05T03:47:56.000Z
The untitled Hulu series follows Leavitt and her family as she handles new fame and career ambitions
2026-11-05T03:29:58.000Z
The ‘All’s Fair’ cast return for a second season of divorce cases and personal drama. Here’s when new episodes arrive, where to watch and what to know about before the finale.
2026-11-04T16:46:27.000Z
'Batman: Knightfall Part 2' unveils a first-look clip as Azrael takes up the cowl after Bruce Wayne is left paralyzed by Bane.
2026-11-04T16:27:06.000Z
Owen Wilson returns to the green in ‘Stick’ Season 2. Here’s your guide to Apple TV’s weekly episode rollout, streaming details and finale date.
2026-11-04T15:48:30.000Z
'Trinity,' starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Richard Madden, follows a naval officer who suspects the US Secretary of Defense is at center of a conspiracy.
2026-11-04T15:21:56.000Z