Joy Gospel Singers will be celebrating Easter with a concert - Celebrating Easter - at St Lawrence's Collegiate Parish Church in Vittoriosa on Saturday, 18 April at 7.30pm.
The concert will include popular Gospel hymns interpreted by the 40-strong mixed adult choir of sopranos, altos and tenors who will be accompanied by their resident band. The Singers enhance their musical renditions by expressive body movements and solo pieces.
The choir was founded 12 years ago by Michelle Abela ATCL, LTCL (TD), who is the musical director, and Dr Carmel Abela, who is the choir coordinator. Based in the Parish of Santa Lucija, the choir performs regularly at major parish events throughout the year. It was in the local parish church that it gave its first public performance in January 2003 and in appreciation of its service to the community, in 2012 the choir was presented with the Gieħ Santa Luċija by Santa Luċija local council.
Today, Joy Gospel Singers is one of Malta's leading Gospel choirs. It has sung at various national and local events, as well as abroad, and has performed several times at the annual Notte Bianca in Valletta and the annual Birgu Fest. It has participated four times in the Gozo International Celebration held in Qala, Gozo, most recently in March 2015, when it received the Horace Mercieca Award. In addition, the choir has held several fund-raising concerts in aid of local charities such as the Hospice Movement, the St Jeanne Antide Foundation and Fondazzjoni Suret il-Bniedem.
In 2007, Joy Gospel Singers enriched their experiences by joining the Lucan Gospel Singers of Ireland for a joint concert at St Lawrence's Collegiate Church in Vittoriosa. This gave the local choir the opportunity to reciprocate with a singing tour to Dublin in August 2008. Its experiences abroad include other singing tours to Assisi, Porto San Giorgio and Rome in 2010 and again to Porto San Giorgio in 2011.
In 2014, St Lawrence's Collegiate Church hosted the Bavarian Choir Liederchor Aichach for a joint concert with the Joy Gospel Singers. This experience served to build new ties through music, to the extent that Joy Gospel Singers, together with family and friends, will be reciprocating with a visit to the Bavarian city of Aichach in July, hosted by Liederchor Aichach. During this singing tour they will sing at a Sunday Mass and participate in a joint concert with Liederchor.
The Joy Gospel Singers meet regularly for rehearsals and social interaction. Their commitments include concerts, participation in liturgical celebrations and singing at weddings and other social events.
Celebrating Easter will be another occasion for Joy Gospel Singers to interpret various styles of Gospel music, including traditional and Negro spirituals, as well as contemporary Christian music. They will delight their audience with their vibrant and joyful interpretation of Christian music, cleverly arranged by the director and professionally interpreted by the talented soloists, musicians and the choir itself. The lively and synchronised choreography will add to the Gospel interpretation of the songs, conveying a positive message of hope and a new beginning, in keeping with the spirit of Easter.
Admission to the concert is free of charge.
More information, including musical clips by the choir, is available on www.joygospel.com