Mary Poppins Comes to Town

My niece is visiting for a few weeks. It has been a long time since she's been to my home and she and I have both been enjoying our long overdue visit.

While she is here we are being like being tourists and going to Granville Island and other areas of the waterfront, going to the movies and Chinatown, riding a little ferry boat, having fish and chips at the waterfront and ordering KFC (chicken), both of which are her favourites, going for a picnic and maybe swimming if she we can find one of my bathing suits to fit her, relaxing in the garden and having a small birthday celebration.

And if that isn't enough, thrill of thrills, we are going to see the musical, "Mary Poppins" and we are so excited!  The only other time we took in a musical together it was her favourite was "Beauty and the Beast".   She enjoyed it so much and so did I!  Mary Poppins will play at the same venue, The Queen Elizabeth Theatre where I also saw the Soweto Gospel Choir in April of this year.  You can read more about that fantastic concert here.

When I was a child, I loved the character of Mary Poppins and I was especially enthralled with how she brought out furnishings from her carpet bag when she moved in as the children's nanny. Who could ever forget her songs "A Spoonful of Sugar" and "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" ?  The musical should be a lot of fun and a once in a lifetime treat.

What about you dear reader? What do you like to do when your niece visits?

An Evening to Remember

I was privileged to attend one of the very few Soweto Gospel Choir performances in Canada during the choir's current touring schedule.  The choir is only playing 4 dates in Canada and it performed in Vancouver this past Saturday, April 7, 2012.

I haven't attended a concert  by this choir before so once I purchased my ticket, I immediately went on line to find out what I could about the choir, it's members and music. What I learned inspired me. I was delighted to learn of the community spirit which these choir members have and how much they give back.  Not only to their own communities, but also to the communities where they perform.

On the night of the performance I got to the concert venue about a half hour early only to be met with a terrifically long line up.  The long line of people was at a standstill and it only grew longer over the next 15 minutes or so.  I finally decided to see what the hold up was and discovered that the theatre doors were actually open.  The lack of people moving into the venue even though many of them had their tickets really puzzled me, but I did not wait around. I quickly made my way into the theatre and found my seat.

This line ended up going around the block (behind the woman in the blue jacket). In fact, I heard later that the line up went on for several blocks, coming from both directions.

Once I settled in it turned out that there would be a longer wait.  At 15 minutes past the concert start time, a choir member came out to thank us for our patience and announce that concert was delayed due to the overwhelming demand for tickets.  We were told that the concert would get underway shortly.  Another 15 minutes went by and a representative of the local concert promoter, Caravan World Rhythms came out because the crowd started to clap to indicate they wanted the concert to get underway.  He let us know that the reason for the delay was the last minute nature of Vancouverites in purchasing their tickets causing a back up at the door.   Immediately after that, the concert got underway.  I felt badly for the choir members who were ready to go but were held up by the tardiness of their audience.   I do hope that next time concert goers would prepare properly and make sure they get their tickets on time. It is only common courtesy to the other paying members and to the performers,  though I realize that time pressures are always an issue in this day and age.

While many people are seated there are still many looking for their seats.  There are also those that haven't made it into the Queen Elizabeth Theatre yet.

The anticipation of the musical extravaganza that awaited had only grown with the wait and the choir did not disappoint! All I can say is that this group is fantastic!!! They really gave their all in the concert and they have such exuberance and professionalism in the performance also.  The members of the choir are all so talented vocally and physically, and each of them have their own strengths which become evident when you watch and listen.

Before I even got to the concert, I have to say I already had my favourite choir member picked out through watching YouTube videos.  His name is Shimmy Jitane and he is my favourite for many reasons.  When he dances, he has such high energy that I would say he is like an“energizer bunny”.  You really have to see him to see what I mean.  Shimmy is also very comical and I found it really breaks the "tension" that can exist between performers and audience while everyone is settling into the rhythm of the evening. Most of all, Shimmy sings with the voice of an angel. I first heard him sing solo on the YouTube video,“I Bid You Goodnight”. After that I knew that he has a very special gift. Seeing him live made me appreciate just what a talented performer he really is. He is giving his all for practically every minute of the concert.

But also the rest of the choir really showed me just how great they are too.  I was blessed to have a seat very close to the stage and so I had the full impact of the show.  It was a visual and sensory feast. Fabulous costumes inspired by the flora and fauna of Africa, are worn by the beautiful and graceful women. The men look pretty good too in their African themed shirts and vests.  They are also fantastically athletic and it was thrilling to watch them dance and kick their heads high above their heads to the cheers of the audience.  Each of the men and women are gifted in voice too and it was great to hear so many of them in solo performances. 

The first part of the thrilling show went quickly by and then it was time for intermission.  The charity of choice was World Vision Canada and audience members were encouraged to consider sponsoring a child during the break.  Those that took up the challenge were rewarded with a free CD of the Soweto Gospel Choir's music. I can't say enough about the choir's generosity toward their fellow human beings. 

At intermission, I rushed out to the lobby to purchase a CD since I already sponsor several children through Compassion International Canada.  I actually wanted a DVD but didn't have the cash on me. When I tried to use the ATM, it did not provide the needed cash. Sadly,  I was not the only person with this problem. Thankfully I had just enough cash to purchase at least one CD.  Since I am not so familiar with the different songs by name,  I  purchased the CD called "African Spirit".  I'm sure it will be fantastic.

When the performers returned for the second part of the concert, I could feel the energy in the room was ramped up.  The choir was really firing up the audience with their energy and vocals.  This was especially evident when the choir performed a hauntingly beautiful rendition of Sarah MacLaughlin's “In The Arms of an Angel”. The audience went wild and gave the group a long and well deserved standing ovation. I was very touched by their rendition of this beautiful song and it brought a tear to my eye. I always remember my dearly departed sister when I hear this song.

After this heartfelt number, the Vancouver crowd finally let loose and showed the choir just exactly how much they were enjoying the performance. I think at that point, the choir members were gratified to know that their efforts to uplift the crowd had truly worked.  The choir's finale was really high energy and electrifying.  There was so much joy and love in the room.  Still singing, several of the members, including Shimmy, began coming to the edge of the stage to shake hands with the people standing there.

I was initially a little too shy to go forward but in the end I ran to the stage to make sure I shook Shimmy's hand.  I am so glad I was able to connect with a brother and to hear him say “God Bless” at the same time I was asking God's blessing on him.  As the choir and musicians sounded their last notes you could see that the crowd did not want the concert to end.  But alas all good things must come to an end.  The choir had given their all and they now had to leave.

We were not supposed to take photos but as the concert was concluding I simply had to try and photograph the beautiful costumes and get a remembrance photo of the night.  I hurriedly snapped the photo below and was gratified to see it turned out reasonably well.

You can clearly see the exuberance of the performers and their wonderful costumes.

It was a night I shall not soon forget.  But it wasn't over quite yet.  I made my way to the lobby and several of the female performers were there meeting and greeting people.  Too many people for me to wait so I kept on going. To my surprise, I found  and met Jehoschefatt Fata (Jeho).  It was a real pleasure to meet this beautiful woman.  I could sense that Jeho is a quiet, reserved person (which she confirms on the Soweto Gospel Fan site) but she is such a gracious woman.

Upon arriving home, I posted Jeho's photo on Twit Pic and let the people know just how much I appreciated the Soweto Gospel Choir's Vancouver concert.

I am now following Jeho and her fellow choir member, Thembisa Khuzwayo, on Twitter.  Thembisa is the woman with a smile so bright that it lights up the whole room.  Like Jeho, she also has a lot of charisma and stage presence.  These dear ladies and Shimmy Jitane, blessed me so much on Saturday.  I was looking forward to a great concert and having that "personal touch" made it that much more special.  These choir members and their fellow choir members, are truly wonderful ambassadors for the country of South Africa.  I do hope they will continue to keep their humble spirits and down to earth approach to meeting their fans. I believe they will as they have already achieved enormous success in worldly terms.

I would like to end this post by encouraging my readers to attend a concert by this fabulous choir if they get to your city.  You won't regret it and not only will you be supporting them and uplifting your spirit at the same time.  You will also be helping all the charities that they connect with and support.  The Canadian leg of their tour ends April 9th in Edmonton.  The last performance in the North American tour ends in Los Angeles on April 11, 2012.  In the new year, there will be an extensive tour in The Netherlands.

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An Awesome Night

Some of you will know that I was to attend a Soweto Gospel Choir performance tonight for the very first time. It past bedtime so I won't do a full post until later.

I just wanted to say I had an awesome time at the concert tonight.

After the show I unexpectedly "ran into" a choir member and had the opportunity to photograph her in her beautiful costume. I posted the photo on Twit Pic and learned her name is Jehoschefatt Fata though the Tweeter said "Jeho".  She is beautiful and had a magnetic stage presence. I found her very gracious dealing with the public after the concert. Thank you Jeho!

More on the concert later. For now I wanted to leave you with this photo.

God bless your Easter weekend.

I Bid You Goodnight

Music has the power to evoke strong emotions in us. I think most of us realize that the emotions can be good or they can be bad.  Today I want to share the music of a wonderful group from South Africa, the grammy award winning Soweto Gospel Choir.

This group is coming to my city on April 7th.  I  wanted to attend but hesitated spending the funds for a ticket.

Then I learned of someone selling a ticket to the event.  She can no longer attend the concert because her workplace suddenly approved her holiday and she only has a limited window of opportunity to travel to Europe.  Though she isn't selling her ticket at a reduced price she has one of the best seats in the venue where the concert will take place. Because of the circumstances of how I came to know about the ticket and where the seat is located, I really felt God saying it was okay for me to spend the funds to go listen and be uplifted by the inspired music of the choir and also to support them.  The choir members all come from churches in the South West Townships of Johannesburg.  I've made arrangements to pick up my ticket on Monday and I'm eagerly anticipating the concert.

In the meantime, I'm listening to this wonderful choir through youtube videos. They have many wonderful songs on video, but the one I've posted really touched my heart. The man who sings it has such a sweet voice and hearing him brought tears to my eyes.  Of course the acapella singers who join him in song just add to the intensity and beauty of the song.  I hope you like it too.

After you've listened to this song, please say a prayer for Edwin who is fighting leukemia.

You can learn more about his story by clicking on the highlighted words in the previous sentence.

The Soweto Gospel Choir is touring in North America up until the end of April. I encourage you to try and attend one of their concerts.  I know you will be so blessed by their wonderful harmonies.  If you hesitate like I do to spend money on yourself or on entertainment but you actually have means, please consider attending a concert by this choir. They will "blow your socks off" with their amazing harmonies and wonderful spirit. I've learned too that the Soweto Gospel Choir raises money for multiple charities and is doing stupendous work to better lives in many communities all around the GLOBE (see here for more information).

 I've done some research on the Soweto Gospel Choir's website and learned that the lead singer in this video is Shimmy Jiyane, Choreographer, Choir Master, Tenor, and Dancer.

I BID YOU GOODNIGHT

Lay down my dear brother, lay down and take your rest
I want to lay your head upon your savior's breast
I love you, but Jesus loves you best
I bid you goodnight, goodnight, goodnight
I bid you goodnight, goodnight, goodnight

Lay down my dear brother, lay down and take your rest
I want to lay your head upon your savior's breast
I love you, but Jesus loves you best
I bid you goodnight, goodnight, goodnight
I bid you goodnight, goodnight, goodnight

One of these mornings bright and early and soon, goodnight
Now they're pickin' up the spirit to the shore beyond, goodnight
Go walking in the valley of the shadow of death, goodnight
He's riding a staff, gonna comfort me, goodnight
Join the wise, there's a soul to find, goodnight
Lord send a fire, not a flood next time, goodnight
To leave for the ark, that wonderful boat, goodnight
She really loaded down, getting water to float, goodnight
Now pray for the beast at the ending of the world, goodnight
He loved the children that would not be good, goodnight
I remember rather well, I remember right well, goodnight
I went walking to Jerusalem just like John
Goodnight, goodnight, goodnight

Lay down my dear brother, lay down and take your rest
I wanna lay your head upon your saviors breast
I love you, but Jesus loves you best
I bid you goodnight, goodnight, goodnight
I bid you goodnight, goodnight, goodnight


I end with some beautiful scenes of the English Bay area in downtown Vancouver. I was there on the weekend enjoying the company of many ladies over tea and scones.

I'm linking up today with On My Heart Tuesday and Our World Tuesday. 

Please pop by these sites and enjoy the posts.