Joy Gospel Singers in joint concert with Irish Choir

The Joy Gospel Singers will be once again teaming up with the Lucan Gospel Choir of Ireland for an anniversary joint concert at St Lawrence Collegiate Parish Church, Vittoriosa. The two choirs first performed together in Malta in February 2007. The forthcoming concert, focusing on the theme ‘Saving Lives’ will be held on Friday, 25 March, at 7.30pm. Entrance will be free of charge and is being sponsored by the Irish Embassy in Malta.

Led by music director Ian Brabazon, the Irish choir was formed in February 1998 and is based in Lucan, West Dublin. With its present 75 members, it is currently one of the largest Gospel choirs in the country. Since its formation it has remained essentially a local community choir with professional standards, open to all ages, races, creeds and religions. Its reason for existing is mainly to fundraise for local and national charities, with the choir’s annual fundraisers including ‘The Simon Community’ who work with the homeless, ‘The Marie Keating Cancer Foundation’ and ‘Pieta House: Suicide and Self Harm Crisis Centre’. The choir’s main fundraiser concerts have taken place in Ireland’s premier venues, including the Helix O’Mahony Hall and Olympia Theatre.

The Lucan Gospel Choir has grown from strength to strength and over the years has performed at festivals, parish centers, community halls and in churches on numerous occasions. In 1998 the choir was requested to sing for the President of Ireland Mary McAleese in Aras An Uachtaran, during the President’s staff Christmas party. The choir ap- peared on the Irish National Television in 2005, when it was invited by the Lord Mayor of Dublin to perform in O’Connell Street, during the ‘Ceremony of Light’, which is the traditional switching-on of the Christmas street decorations in the Irish capital.

Joy Gospel Singers are well established in the local cultural scene. Founded in 2002 in the parish of Santa Lucija by their musical director Michelle Abela, over the years the choir has participated in numerous concerts and masses as well as fund raising events both locally and abroad. Through the professional musical arrangements of the director and coaching sessions with a professional performing arts in- structor, the choir has developed a vibrant and uplifting style, with rehearsed choreography and clear vocal expression that is very appealing and well received by the audience. The music is produced live by a small band of musicians that adds to the fresh and lively performances of the choir.

Among the many special moments for Joy Gospel Singers it is worth mentioning their performance at St John’s Co-Cathedral for the Hospice Movement, animating Sunday mass at St Francis Basilica in Assisi in 2010 and receiving the ‘Gieħ Santa Luċija’ in 2012 and the ‘Horace Mercieca Award’ in 2015, in recognition for its cultural achievements and its voluntary service to the commu- nity.

The Lucan Gospel Choir’s connection with Malta goes back to some sixteen years ago, when Michelle, at the time living in Dublin, attended one of its performances during Sunday Mass. Michelle decided to join the choir and was even asked to direct the singers on a particular occasion. After the first joint concert in Malta, the two choirs performed jointly again in Ireland in 2008.

The Vittoriosa concert will be the third joint concert and includes a number of songs performed separately by the two choirs, as well as other spirituals sang by the two choirs in unison. The repertoire will include a special piece to be performed by both choirs, which was commissioned specifically for the Malta concert by the Irish Lifesaving Foundation. It was composed by Dr Martin O’Leary, who will be traveling with the Irish choir to Malta for the occasion. The piece is being dedicated to those engaged in the lifesaving activities in the Mediterranean undertaken by the Irish Navy and their Maltese counterparts, who work tirelessly to save lives at sea. On the Lucan’s return to Ireland, the peace will be performed once again at the Irish Naval Base in Cork. The Irish Lifesaving Foundation uses the concept of the ‘Good Samaritan’ to offer help to all those in need. Entrance to the concert will be free of charge.