Category: Events

We’re excited to announce that our newest album, A Black and White Christmas, is finished and now available! You can listen to samples and get it right now in CD form or as mp3 download (saves the environment!) through our sales page. In the coming weeks (by mid-December) it will also be available through all major online retailers. A joint production by MelodicArts Media in association with Raga Gospel Ministries, A Black and White Christmas is a wonderful IndoCanadian fusion approach to traditional Christmas carols from Canada and India, featuring the amazing talents of Hamilton, Ontario sitarist and vocalist Neeraj Prem in partnership with Bruce Harding (flutes, voice, guitar, bass and percussion). Bruce and Neeraj worked on the project when they were together for their BC tour in April, 2009, putting final touches to the recordings this September. What a feast of Christmas music it is!

We launched the album in Hamilton, Ontario, on Sunday, November 21, in a dinner concert with amazing food and, of course, amazing music! Thanks to all who came out and supported us.

I’m excited about tomorrow night’s concert by Shashi Lata Virk, an amazing singer of North Indian classical music and ghazals, and a good friend. Shashi doesn’t do many concerts in the Vancouver area, despite being a Canadian resident since the early 1970s – she spends most of her touring time in India, singing on All India Radio, television broadcasts, and concerts – so it is a rare opportunity to hear her do her thing. Shashi will be accompanied by me on flutes, Ed Henderson on guitar, Amarjeet Singh on tabla, and a host of students and other music guests, so a rich musical experience is in store for all. Come join us! Saturday, October 9, 6:30pm, at the Douglas College Performing Arts Theatre in New Westminster, BC. Tickets: $25.

It seems like we’ve been to Naramata already this summer… Oh yes, that’s because we have been twice this year! Our second week of music leadership has just ended and we’re on the highway to home. Thanks to everyone – staff, participants and volunteers – who made the week so great. For your continued singing pleasure, here are the scores for the songs we wrote to help make the theme come alive:

• Network (pdf)
• The Circle of Life (pdf)
• Generations (pdf)

We also used an earlier song of ours, a song written for intercultural ministry, during the Wednesday community worship:

• Alpha and Omega (pdf)

Finally, on the way home, a new song written during the week which didn’t end up getting used for worship morphed into a wonderful, energetic Amen!

• Amen, Praise God! (pdf)

⇒ Continue reading

We’re just wrapping up a fun week of music leadership at Naramata Centre in the Okanagan Valley, a time of playing with the theme for the week, “Wake Up,” and with the overall summer theme of “Awakened Body, Awakened Purpose.” Thanks as always to the staff and volunteers at the Centre for all that they do, and to all the participants who made our week so great! If anyone would like a full list of all the songs sung during the week, contact us and we’ll email it to you.

For your continued singing, here are a few key songs which we sang with the children’s programme and during community gathering times:

• Wake Up – our theme song for the week, with zipper verse possibilities
• Sleeper, Awake – a lively song in SATB harmony
• I Feel God Around Me – a zipper song celebrating God’s presence in us and our world
• Catch the Light – a simple song reminding us we are bearers of God’s light

⇒ Continue reading

What an amazing whirlwind of a weekend we just had in Toronto at More Franchises: A Second Cup, a conference sponsored by The United Church of Canada in partnership with Emmanuel College, Toronto. Over 500 participants, over 100 workshops, an intercultural band of ten wonderful musicians – what more could we ask for?

And in the midst of the event, we celebrated the 85th anniversary of the United Church with a big worship service at Metropolitan United Church, with participation via video feed and Twitter from across the church, the whole thing streaming live to the internet. An amazing experience, and an honour to be involved in organizing and leading such a Spirit-filled service! The service is now archived online.

A big thanks to all our musician friends who helped lead music for the weekend: Maki Fushii, David-Roger Gagnon, Linnea Good, David Jonsson, Amy Lee, Lloyd MacLean and Neeraj and Sajan Prem. I couldn’t have done it without you!