Despite the current trend of young choir directors to opt for a hip hop influenced sound, sometimes willing to sacrifice vocal quality for a phat beat, the true standard for gospel choirs remains Thomas Whitfield and the Whitfield Company. Nowhere is this more true than in Detroit, where Mother Mattie Moss Clark's godchildren rehearse long into the night trying to recreate that legendary sound.  

To suggest that anyone, except maybe his protegés Rudolph Stanfield, Jr. or Michael Fletcher, is an heir to the Maestro's throne is a stretch. However, on his debut project Fulfilling My Destiny, Darius Twyman and his vocal group Destiny demonstrate that the Whitfield influence is alive and well.  

Twyman, formerly a member of Oscar Hayes' Abundant Life Chorale, shows himself to be equally adept as a vocalist and a director. His baritone stands out on cuts like "Will You Be Ready" and the reprise of "Battlefield" while Destiny's rich vocals prove they can sing with the best, shining on all the album's cuts, but especially on "Bless His Name" and the traditional sound of "Moving Up."  Writer or co-writer of ten of the project's thirteen songs, Twyman proves on "Fulfilling My Destiny" that he can craft both driving uptempo tunes, like the album opener "Battlefield" as well as moving ballads, such as the album's stand out cut "Coming Soon." The appearance of Dorinda Clark-Cole on "He Won't Fail" is simply icing on the cake.  

If this first offering from the Southfield, Michigan-based Inner Court Music Group is any indication of future projects, both the company and Darius Twyman have a promising future in gospel music.