She joins a local church choir which has just gained a new, demanding choirmaster, retired music conductor Ephraim Adams (John Houseman).

Adams challenges the choir to dramatically improve, creating discomfort for some of the members, particularly when he sets the high goal of performing Handel's Messiah for a Christmas concert.

Living in an inexpensive apartment, she brushes up her typing skills in order to gain employment before her mother wearies of looking after her son, who is growing anxious from his separation from Zoe.

Zoe receives her grounding at church, where an assortment of inner-city residents range from a former opera singer to a student seeking to educate himself for a life in a profession.

The opera singer falls by the wayside when ego gets in her way, while the student is falsely accused of vandalism to the church organ simply because of his race, yet is vindicated by those who know and believe in him.