Makin' A Difference

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Sunday, November 22nd, 2015
2:30 PM

Makin’ A Difference is not just a line in one of the choir’s songs for this upcoming concert… it is a scientific fact that music makes a difference to our health.

Just by listening to music, it is proven that you can improve your visual and verbal skills, keep your brain healthy, elevate your mood, strengthen your heart and vascular system, reduce post-surgical recovery time, lower blood pressure, improve the quality of your sleep, boost your immune system, reduce pain, increase your workout endurance and motivation, and reduce depression and anxiety. With all this, can you imagine the benefits of taking this a step further and actually singing the music? It’s an awesome experience! No wonder, the membership of Island Soul Choir is thriving, and audiences continue to throng to our concerts!

Island Soul Choir has put together yet another great collection of songs — a soulful blend of spiritual, gospel, blues, and South African songs — that will make a difference for its audience and for its singers.

The song that speaks about making a difference, entitled Free, is a new composition by Brian Tate; it’s a simple yet energizing, feel-good song. A number of the choir members learned the song this past summer at a singing camp, and it was an instant hit for getting the day started with vim and vigour. It should get everyone in the audience up, singing and dancing! Opening the show, The Porchlight Singers is an acoustic quartet from Vancouver that draws from traditional Americana roots music and originals. Karla Mundy, along with Steve Charles on guitar, Tim Tweedale on dobro and Patrick Metzger on bass, combine creative and lush vocal harmonies with intricate instrumentation.

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 is now in its 9th year 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!

Adult tickets: $22.50 (reserved seating) eyeGo (for high-school students) and children 12 and under: $5