Island Soul Choir
When
Approximate running time: 2 hours
Venue
Event Notes
If you’ve ever been to summer camp, you’ve undoubtedly sung Kumbaya around the campfire. It is a simple appeal to God to “come by here” and help those in need. Through its transition from sadness and praying to laughing and celebration, this African-American spiritual creates a sense of healing and community, of hope and the chance to start over — certainly, a suitable theme for a Spring concert.
Island Soul Choir’s conductor Karla Mundy has compiled an intriguing variety of songs that fit within this theme, including the Soweto Gospel Choir’s version of Khumbaya, Curtis Mayfield’s People Get Ready, Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah, Bill Withers’ Lean on Me, and Brian Tate’s newest One Million Voices, as well as traditional spirituals like This Morning When I Rose, I Am Determined, and Honor, Honor, and an amusing Sotho wedding song.
Island Soul Choir is pleased to welcome Nanaimo’s own award-winning Tidesmen as their guest for this concert. This premier male chorus from Vancouver Island is one of the leading a cappella choruses in the Pacific Northwest. Their music incorporates soaring voices, ringing chords, and thrilling four-part harmonies. The Tidesmen’s uplifting repertoire includes The American Song Book, Broadway standards, blues, rock & roll, inspirational songs, and barbershop favourites. With a culture that engenders brotherhood, camaraderie and fun, the Tidesmen take pride in serving their local community. In addition to performing their own set of music, the Tidesmen join Island Soul Choir onstage for the concert’s finale.
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 anyone who wants to sing. Members don’t need to have any prior choir experience; they may not even know how to read music. They come from all over Vancouver Island, from Victoria to Port Hardy to Bamfield, as well as Gabriola, Salt Spring and Quadra Islands. Their repertoire covers 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!