Patti LaBelle and Aretha Franklin shine in ‘Women of Soul’ at the White House

Some of music’s most profound voices came together at the White House Thursday night, honoring legends such as Aretha Franklin and Patti LaBelle and transforming the presidential estate into a melodious church brimming with soulful jubilation.

The 12th program in President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama’s In Performance at the White House series, Women of Soul brought together Franklin, LaBelle, Melissa Etheridge, Tessanne Chin, Jill Scott, Janelle Monáe and Ariana Grande, each dressed to the nines and delivering stirring performances.

The president kicked off the proceedings with a jovial introduction, telling the crowd about Franklin’s visit to Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Ala., in 1967 when, the legend goes, she literally shook the walls with her voice. “It was magic,” he said.

“My advice to everyone here tonight is simple: Hold on.”

Newcomers Monáe and Grande held their own on a stage dominated by veterans — Monáe, putting an animated spin on Shirley Bassey’s James Bond theme Goldfinger; a clearly nervous but humbled Grande delivering her take on Whitney Houston’s challenging I Have Nothing.

Each appeared to feel more at home singing their own songs (Monáe with Tightrope and Grande singing Tattooed Heart).

But it was the seasoned performers who delivered the night’s most memorable moments. LaBelle opened the show with an electrifying rendition of Over the Rainbow, earning a standing ovation, later tearing into her own Lady Marmalade.

After a heartfelt performance of Gladys Knight’s Neither One of Us by Etheridge, the crowd was grooving along to Donna Summer’s disco classic Last Dance (sung by Chin) and Scott’s exuberant cover of Franklin’s Rock Steady.

Etheridge and Scott also performed their own songs (I’m the Only One and Golden, respectively) before what was arguably the evening’s highlight: a joyous performance of “rock ‘n’ roll queen” Tina Turner’s Proud Mary by all the ladies (excluding Franklin), which may have seemed like the show’s expected finale, but the Queen of Soul had something else up her fur-coat sleeve.

Franklin, who received a standing ovation for her I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You) earlier in the show, closed out the evening with a mesmerizing performance of Amazing Grace. Leaving Scott and Monáe teary-eyed, the performance ended the night on a powerful high note, creating an atmosphere more akin to a gospel-church revival than a black-tie affair.

Women of Soul: In Performance at the White House will be broadcast April 7 on PBS (9 p.m. ET/PT, times may vary).