What is “New of Soul”? Aside from being the title of a song written by Island Soul Choir’s Music Director, Tom Arntzen, being “New of Soul” is discovering a newfound sense of self that creates a deeper connection to others and the greater universe.

Island Soul Choir will explore this concept in this upcoming concert, with songs about social justice, caring for and supporting others, dealing with troubled times, and more, to replenish and uplift your soul. As always, the concert program will include an interesting blend of old and new repertoire from across multiple music genres, including gospel, spiritual, Motown, rock, contemporary and world music.

Island Soul Choir is delighted to have Jennifer Scott and René Worst as their guests for this concert. Jennifer is a vocalist and jazz pianist specializing in jazz, blues and world music, and is considered one of the most important jazz artists working in Canada and the United States today. René is a renowned bassist and has worked with legendary artists such as David Bowie, Freddie Hubbard, and Chet Baker, creatively harnessing jazz, folk, rock, and fusion for five decades. They are in demand internationally, as a duo and individually, as performers, workshop facilitators, clinicians, and teachers. Together, Jennifer and René bring an effortless ambiance to their performance as they draw from original compositions and interpret the American Songbook, pop, and global folk music.

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, and from Bamfield and Ucluelet to neighbouring easterly islands including Gabriola, Protection, Salt Spring, Galiano, Cortes, Lasqueti and Quadra. Members don’t need to have any prior choir experience; they don’t even need to know how to read music—they just need to love to sing.

NanGo Grannies will partner once again with Island Soul Choir at this concert. They will be selling crafts and baked goods in the theatre lobby before the concert and during the intermission, and all proceeds will be used to support The Stephen Lewis Foundation’s Grandmothers-to-Grandmothers Campaign. Even after almost two decades since the Campaign’s inception, thousands of grandmothers and “grand/younger-others” are more committed than ever to raise awareness, build solidarity, and mobilize funds for community-based organizations that support African grandmothers and the children in their care who have been orphaned by AIDS. We encourage our audience to take advantage of this opportunity to support this truly worthwhile endeavour.

“Fantastic! I love the upbeat music!… Loved the range of music and the enthusiasm of the choir!… Well done. A good mix of content… Enjoyed it from beginning to end!… Creative adaptations of traditional scores… Everyone had fun!… Time flew by! Lots of energy… I always find the music uplifting and come away feeling joyous!” - Audience Feedback