Benefit Concert: Every Road Leads Home

Announcing

The Universal Gospel Choir

& Shari Ulrich in

EVERY ROAD LEADS HOME

A Benefit Concert for the Callanish Society

Saturday April 18, 2009 at 8:00 pm

Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage

2750 Granville St.

Tickets $32.50 at the Stanley Industrial Alliance Box Office (604-687-1644)

or online at www.vancouvertix.com

Vancouver’s Universal Gospel Choir and singer-songwriter Shari Ulrich join forces in this benefit concert for the Callanish Society, a grassroots non-profit organization that provides emotional and spiritual support to people with cancer, their families and their health care providers (www.callanish.org). “Every Road Leads Home” will be the first time that these two much-beloved local acts have performed together, and audiences are sure to be uplifted by the interweaving of Juno Award winner Ulrich’s evocative original songs with the Universal Gospel Choir’s passionate renditions of sacred songs from all over the world – including a healthy helping of on-your-feet-booty-shaking-gospel. Pianist Diane Lines, drummer Rob Ferguson and multi-instrumentalist Bill Runge provide accompaniment. “Every Road Leads Home” promises to be an evening full of joy, hope and the healing power of music…all in support of a cause that touches us all.

Directed by Kathryn Nicholson, the Universal Gospel Choir is a multi-faith, multi-cultural community choir that has been bringing the healing and uplifting power of the world’s sacred song traditions to diverse audiences since 1985. The UGC has established a reputation for engaging audiences with its passion, commitment to musical authenticity, and dedication to the community-building power of shared song. The choir’s eclectic repertoire reflects African-American, Cuban, African, European, Asian and Native American influences. www.universalgospelchoir.ca

A 2002 inductee into the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame, Juno Award winner Shari Ulrich’s finesse on violin, mandolin, flute, piano, sax and dulcimer was first heard in the early 70s with the Pied Pumkin.  After two years with the “Hometown Band,” Shari went on to record six solo albums of original songs as well as two with UHF (Ulrich/Henderson/Forbes) and two with the re-emergent Pied Pumkin.  She just released a live concert CD with Barney Bentall & Tom Taylor, and is currently recording a long overdue new solo album. Shari also composes, produces and engineers music for television and documentaries, and teaches songwriting, both in the university and workshop setting. www.shariulrich.com

April 2009: Monthly Round-up

This is the inaugural edition of what I hope will be a regular feature on this blog: a monthly compilation of what’s coming down the pipe for me professionally. I find that posting media releases only tells half – or maybe even only a third – of the story…since, at any given time, many of the things I’m working on don’t necessarily come with media releases attached. So…here’s a more complete tally of the projects I’ve got on my plate this month:

Publicity:

Bluebird North (April 7, 7:30 pm at the Roundhouse): songwriters showcase featuring Leslie Alexander, John Wort Hannam,  Dave Phillips and Bonnie Ste-Croix. www.songwriters.ca

Every Road Leads Home (April 18th,  8 pm at the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage): benefit concert for the Callanish Society featuring Shari Ulrich and the Universal Gospel Choir. www.callanish.org

Music of the Whole World: Balinese Gamelan & Western Composition, with Michael Tenzer (April 22, 7:00 pm at the Vancouver Public Library Central Branch): fourth in the VICO’s annual six-part FREE educational series Music of the Whole World: Explorations of World Music Cultures By Canadian Composers.  Composer Michael Tenzer, assisted by Balinese musician I Wayan Sudirana, presents an introduction to both the Balinese tradition and his own intercultural music, which combines Gamelan and Western ideas. www.vi-co.org

Tempus Theatre – 36 VIEWS (May 1-23 at Jericho Arts Centre – Western Canadian premiere!) by award-winning Japanese American playwright Naomi Iizuka: an innovative multi-disciplinary production directed by Anthony F. Ingram and starring Keith Martin Gordey Annabel Kershaw, Michael Kopsa, Lissa Neptuno, Bert Steinmanis and Valerie Sing Turner. Part romance, part mystery and part con game, the play casts a enthralling spell of poetic language, evocative sounds and beautiful images, even as it asks compelling and timely questions about cultural authenticity, the value of art in society, and the quest for truth in art and in human relationships. www.tempustheatre.com

Laudate Singers – Viva Vivaldi! (May 22, St. David’s United Church, West Vancouver): featuring violinist Nancy DiNovo and an ensemble of Vancouver’s finest Baroque instrumentalists in a performance of Vivaldi’s beloved Gloria, as well as Beatus Vir and the glittering Spring movement from the Four Seasons concerto. www.laudatesingers.com

Production Coordination/Stage Management:

Broadway Bound (May 24, 6 pm at Mulgrave School): Creber Music’s gala end-of-year revue, featuring The CM Singers, Encore Musical Theatre, the Mulgrave Community Choir and more, with live accompaniment by the Michael Creber Band. Ticket info coming soon!

Summer Musical Theatre at Mulgrave (July 13-25): 2-week program in which participants (grades K to 9) mount a full-length musical from the ground up, culminating in a spectacular live performance. Info and registration form here: www.mulgrave.com/summermusicaltheatre.asp

Writing / Editing:

Grants, grants and more grants: Canada Council, BC Gaming, BC Arts Council, City of Vancouver…all have deadlines falling between now and mid-June.

The Inter-Cultural: Spring issue of the VICO’s quarterly newsletter.

Onward!