Change is inevitable, no matter how much we as humans do our best to resist it. The sooner we accept it, no matter why it’s happening, the faster we can create our new sense of reality and come out the other side stronger and wiser. The rainbow is a perfect symbol of change — after rain comes sunshine, after storms come calm, after sadness comes joy, after pain comes peace, and after loss comes love.
The repertoire that conductor Karla Mundy has selected for Island Soul Choir’s concert this May speaks to changes in all its facets: how confusing and bewildering they are, that we have the strength to get through them, that we can release our fears as we deal with them, that everything will work out in the end, that we can create our new reality by the words we speak and the actions we take, that love will truly save the day. All of this through a collection of pop, rock, gospel, spiritual and world-music tunes will make for a truly entertaining and uplifting afternoon.
Among the songs that Island Soul Choir will perform, you will experience Brian Tate’s latest composition, Changes, along with his arrangements of Des’ree’s You Gotta Be and Ronald Miller’s Heaven Help Us All. The choir will also perform Hol’ On and Speak, both arranged by Lonnie Norwood, along with Dr. Ysaye Barnwell’s adaptation of The Lord is My Shepherd, and the Detroit Mass Gospel Choir’s version of The Storm is Passing Over. No concert would be complete without an African song, and this time, Island Soul Choir will perform Sibenje Ngo Maria, a Xhosa church song that was learned from members of the St. Anthony’s Church Choir in Langa, Cape Town.
Island Soul Choir is pleased to welcome Just in Time Choirs’ Vocal Minority as their guest for this concert. Vocal Minority is an auditioned mixed-voice choir based in the Comox Valley. They are a close-knit group of 16 singers that combine a wealth of musical talent to share with their audiences. They sing a repertoire of contemporary music, including songs from genres such as jazz, rock, pop, folk, funk, Latin, soul and gospel. Vocal Minority is renowned for their energetic, engaging, and musically rich performances. They also make a hard team to beat at name-that-tune! The ensemble rehearses weekly, led by Wendy Nixon Stothert, who directs six choirs and organizes choral events in the Comox Valley.
NanGo Grannies are again partnering with Island Soul Choir on concert day, selling homemade crafts and cookies in the theatre lobby before the concert, during intermission, and if there are any homemade cookies remaining, they will also be sold 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 completing its thirteenth 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!
