A gospel brunch on the 28th floor of the Millbank Tower on London's South Bank was something I approached with equal parts trepidation, cynicism and anxious excitement. Most thrilling to me was the opportunity to see London from a great height whilst enjoying some good food and drink, but, to be honest, I wasn't sure how I'd fare with the gospel music. I guess, to be honest, it's because this was a Sunday and I was having flashbacks to my childhood and my Church of England schooling. In contrast to that, however, I have always enjoyed the sound and soul of gospel music and it is a world removed from the drab hymns of my youth, so I don't know why I was a tad tentative going into this. As we approached the Altitude bar we could hear the London Community Gospel Choir warming up with snatches of the Tamla Motown classic 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough', so I was somewhat relieved that the vibe would be more The Temptations than 'Lead us not into temptation...' Stepping out into the Altitube bar you're given a rather stunning overview of London, despite the gloomy weather outside, you could see far out across the city, giving it a strange sense of smallness, and not just in distance, but it made the messy expanse of London feel like a little village. You could stand at the window and pick out a plethora of tourist traps and marvel at their seemingly inconsequential proximity, wondering to yourself why you don't just walk everywhere more often. To begin with a selection of breads were laid out on the table, pick of the bunch for me was the onion brioche, but there was also the cake-like rich brown sugar corn bread, rosemary and raisin bread and a couple of denser rolls. All washed down with a peppery Bloody Mary. I wasn't sure how the balance of conversation/food/music would quite play out, the LCGC took to their stage in three songs bursts for the most part, they began with some poppier numbers, including 'I Say A Little Prayer'. The LCGC were founded in 1982 by the Reverend Bazil Meade, with the help of Lawrence Johnson, Delroy Powell and John Francis, and they were the first concert gospel choir in Britain. They've performed with the likes of Gorillaz, Tina Turner, P.Diddy, Madonna, Diana Rosh, Spiritualized and Mariah Carey (to name a few) and were featured on the pop version of Elton John's Circle Of Life from The Lion King. In this rather intimate setting the six singers - accompanied by Reverend Meade on keyboard - sound incredible, the emotion and passion in their voices is palpable and joyful. It is a peculiar setting and it's difficult to warm up an audience who are also eating a very filling brunch, but the LCGC do a brilliant job and I had a big silly grin on my face by the end of it all. For a main course I chose a spinach, feta and caper open-faced omlette, that had just the right balance of that bitter, flat cheese with the gloopier, eggier combination of the omlette base and spinach. I accompanied this with a mimosa that was deceptively orangey and went to my head a little quicker than I was expecting, which probably helped me shed off a few of me inhibitions when it came to clapping along, at least. There were a couple of more traditional sounding Gospel tunes and a spirited version of Mary Mary's 'Shackles (Praise You)', before a very heartfelt tribute to the late Whitney Houston, delivered by choir member Ezra, where they performed 'My Love Is Your Love' and 'I Love The Lord' (from the film The Preacher's Wife). It was an emotional performance that managed to successfully honour the singer's legacy (in fact The Preacher's Wife soundtrack is the biggest selling gospel album of all time) and how much it meant, very specifically, to the artists on stage today. There was a break in the music whilst we tackled the desserts, I had a plate-sized waffle with ice-cream and fruit and a drizzle of maple syrup, unfortunately the syrup and fruit struggled to cover the gignatic waffle and I found myself enduring a few dull mouthfuls in order to try and save some syrupy portions for the 'finale'. Whilst my friend had a chocolate and peanut butter brownie which was dizzyingly chocolately, very tasty, but, as the menu warns, a very generous portion! The choir came up for one last performance, this one a rousing collection of uplifting pop and Motown classics, songs such as Jackie Wilson's exuberant '(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher', the Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston hit 'It Takes Two', one for number a microphone was taken on a brief tour of the audience, with some surprisingly powerful Gospel voices hidden amongst the diners - fortunately they were all spared my 'dulcet' tones - and as the music drew towards it life-affirming conclusion the audience had unburdened themselves from the mire of citylife and were swaying in their seats, clapping enthusiastically and singing along with only the barest hint of their neuroses left hovering over their heads. Afterwards, I savoured the view for a while longer and reflected upon how much fun the whole experience was. It's an experience unlike that which I would usually pursue, but now would heartily recommend to anyone looking for a fun and unique way to start their Sunday. The Gospel Brunch is held on Mother's Day and Father's Day and I can see it being a perfect parent present, and whilst the food may not be dazzling, they give you a full of plate, a full stomach, a big smile and some great music. Gospel Brunch takes place at the Millbank Tower every Sunday, from 11am to 3pm, at £49 per person: http://www.altitudelondon.com/gospelbrunch/