Music ministry
Mike and More simply loved to sing
It was 34 years ago a local gospel music group sprang to life.
Known originally as Mike Moore’s Group, within a short period of time the local musicians were touching large audiences as Mike & More.
Lalia Yorke described this humble beginning.
“On a Sunday morning Brenda Leil was practising for a solo,” said Yorke, 70, of
Fort Ellis. “I was standing nearby humming along. Brenda said ‘get over here and help me out, that sounded good.’ I came closer and started humming louder and I said to my brother Mike (Moore) at the piano, put your part in. Everything came together quite nicely and we sang it at the Truro Heights Baptist Church on Sunday morning.”
A short time later the trio received a request to take part in a service at the Zion Baptist Church in Truro. Moore, Yorke and Leil answered the call and the journey was underway. A real-life success story followed and by 1997 the group had grown to five musicians and were playing before large audiences throughout Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
Mike and Brenda played guitar and sang, Sam Vezeau played banjo, mandolin and guitar and sang. Andy Crossan was on guitar and bass and Lalia was an enthusiastic vocalist. The year 1997 was a good one for Mike & More; they were nominated for a Nova Scotia Country Music Association award as best gospel group.
“The biggest thing was, we were just thrilled to be nominated,” Lalia recalled. “We didn’t know if we actually deserved to be there, it was something kind of out of the ordinary. We just loved to sing, we didn’t have to be awarded, we loved what we were doing. We had a message that Jesus loved people and that God wanted people to come to him and experience his amazing love.”
After being runner-up for the Nova Scotia Country Music Association award, they were later nominated for an East Coast Music Association award. The group recorded their first album “Please Search The Book Again,” followed by a second album “Walk On.”
“It amounted to a tremendous amount of work,” said Lalia. “But in the end we were amazed at how well things turned out. God blessed and used those albums.”
The group with such a humble beginning went on to appear on many stages, in bluegrass festivals, at churches and for charity. Playing for benefits on cable television, they helped such causes as the arthritis telethon, Charles Street House, the Westray mine disaster families and victims of family violence.
A prison ministry was also carried on for several years.
“On our first visit, after being cleared by security and going into the prison, it was really something when the doors locked behind us. I recall inmates getting up and leaving but they came back and brought other inmates with them. Pretty soon, the chapel was full.”
Mike & More enjoyed opening on occasion for larger gospel groups visiting the Truro area. These included Little Nashville, Gold City and Brian Free and Assurance.
“It was at CEC we opened for Gold City. The place was packed. Donald Ross, the owner of Dairy Queen, brought the group here from the United States. It was a privilege to open for such a talented group. When I think back, God opened so many doors during our singing. God blessed our effort.”
The group disbanded in 2002 after 19 years together.
“Mike took sick around Christmas time in 2003. In January, he was diagnosed with cancer.
Mike passed away Feb. 25, 2004 at age 62.
“When I think of my brother, I think of the joy we had in our music ministry. Many of our songs had a simple message – no matter what you have done in life, by turning to Christ, he will make a difference in your life.”
The Yorke siblings spent their early years in Springhill, later moving to Parsboro.
Their parents were officers in the Salvation Army and their father was very musical.
“It was dad who taught Mike and me and all our family how to sing.”
These days, Lalia is highly looked up to in the Brookfield Baptist Church. A gifted choir member and soloist, she handles kitchen duties during many functions.
Lalia and her husband Don have lived in Fort Ellis for 41 years; they have two grown sons and two grandchildren.