Island Soul Choir

Life today is not easy. There is struggle, injustice, terror, and despair in the hearts and minds of thousands upon thousands of people around the world. Strangely enough, it’s these challenges that are inspiring music composers to write new music which, through the collective drops of their empowering messages, can potentially make a positive difference within the vast ocean of mankind.

Island Soul Choir loves to sing this new music and spread these messages. In the choir’s upcoming concert entitled Home, their music will feature a number of new songs that will be an inspiring balm of encouragement, endurance, gratitude and hope, to help us all find that part within ourselves to stand strong and move forward towards a better future.

The choir will once again feature one of Brian Tate’s newest songs: Hold On, a mantra of encouragement and inspiration. They will also be a singing a brand new song, Ndithandi Khaya, about the love and protection of home; it was composed for the choir’s conductor by Bongani Magatyana who is a professional singer, composer and educator living in Cape Town, South Africa.

Island Soul Choir is delighted to have Moira Smiley as their special guest for this concert. A musical polyglot, Moira leads her exquisite vocal group, moira smiley & VOCO, travels the world as a soloist in new, early and traditional music especially the old songs of Appalachia, Ireland and Eastern Europe, and creates new work for dance, theatre and film. Moira’s recordings feature spare, vocally-driven collections of warped traditional songs, original polyphony and body percussion. In addition to her performing work, she is in high demand as a choral clinician, composer and arranger. The choir will sing 3 of Moira’s arrangements: Bring Me Little Water Sylvie, and newly arranged versions of There is More Love Somewhere and Refugee, the title track from Moira’s newest CD which was inspired by the time Moira spent working in the refugee camps near Calais, France.

Island Soul Choir is a non-auditioned community choir that draws its members from all over Vancouver Island, from Victoria to Port Hardy, as well as Gabriola, Salt Spring and Quadra Islands. It is truly an all-Island choir! Their repertoire covers gospel, spirituals, world music, blues, pop, soul, R&B… basically any type of music that touches, moves or inspires the soul. Members don’t necessarily have any prior choir experience — they may not even know how to read music — they just want to sing. 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. 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 exuberant!… 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!

Adult tickets: $25 (reserved seating) eyeGo (students grade 8 to 12) and children 12 & under: $5