Island Soul Choir’s Annual Fall Concert
Island Soul Choir is returning once again to spread the joy and inspiration of their music. Conductor Karla Mundy has selected a repertoire that reminds everyone to believe that they are truly capable of overcoming the challenges they face, small and big challenges alike. From raucous spirituals to soulful prayers, demands for change to celebratory praises, this concert will surely touch, move and inspire our audience. You won’t want to miss it!
Island Soul Choir is pleased to welcome back Dawn Pemberton as their guest for this concert. Since Dawn’s last performance with the choir in June 2014, her career blasted off after the launch of her solo CD “Say Somethin’”. Dawn has deep musical roots that take her powerful voice from gospel and soul to jazz, funk and world music. She has become a staple of the Vancouver music scene and can often be found tearin’ it up as a vocalist, teacher, facilitator, choir director and “go-to girl” for live performances and studio sessions. A passionate songwriter and performer, Dawn crafts her music with a sense of adventure, quirkiness, and serious groove, and shapes it into her own unique and dynamic package. For more information about Dawn, visit her website at dawnpemberton.ca
NanGo Grannies are again partnering with Island Soul Choir on concert day, selling homemade crafts and baked goods in the theatre lobby before the concert and during intermission; if there are any baked goods remaining, they will also be sold by the plate at the end of the concert. Proceeds raised will be used to support The Stephen Lewis Foundation to help grandmothers in 15 sub-Saharan Africa countries raise their grandchildren who have been orphaned by AIDS.
Island Soul Choir is a community choir in its purest sense. The choir welcomes members from all over Vancouver Island, from Victoria to Port Hardy to Bamfield, as well as Gabriola, Salt Spring and Quadra Islands. Members don’t need to have any prior choir experience; they may not even know how to read music — they just need to want to sing. The choir’s repertoire includes gospel, spirituals, world music, blues, pop, soul, R&B… basically any type of music that touches, moves or inspires the soul. With 140 members and many of them experienced singers, there’s definitely safety in numbers for newcomers to find their singing voice.
Given that Ms. Mundy lives in Vancouver, Island Soul Choir rehearsals are scheduled only five times per session, about a month apart, unlike traditional choirs that rehearse weekly. Now in its twelfth year, the choir continues to be hugely popular in spite of (or maybe more due to) this unorthodox rehearsal format.
Phenomenal! We’ll absolutely be back for another concert… So exhuberant!… Loved being part of the uplifting energy… We just loved it!… Thanks for such a lovely show… The singers are so enthusiastic!… Very uplifting!… Makes you want to join… Really fun to watch… Always great… Fantastic!