Music that’s good for the soul, good for the heart
Prof. Wilson and Soul Sounds: Ready for another musical venture
An evening of soulful music. Combine this with the harmonious vocals of Soul Sounds and you can expect something truly beautiful. The award-winning choir are busy preparing for their first show for this year, titled ‘The Reason We Sing’, conducted by Professor Mark Wilson on Tuesday, January 31 at the Lionel Wendt theatre.
Soul Sounds music director Soundarie David Rodrigo first met Prof. Mark Wilson when she accompanied the University of California Berkeley Gospel chorus. Inspired by his music, Soundarie was soon to invite the Professor to train Soul Sounds back home.
Musical director of the university’s gospel chorus, Prof. Wilson first visited the country in 2008. After having closely worked with Soul Sounds back then, he continued to visit, and this will be his fifth trip to the island.
Soundarie explained that it’s been two years since Prof. Wilson last came.“We are truly looking forward to learning from him again. He has inspired and taught us so much over the years and we know that our experiences of working with him are an integral part of what this group has evolved into today, especially in the genre of gospel music,” she says.
She adds that the concert theme is inspired by the song ‘Why we sing’ by Richard Smallwood. “It made us as musicians, probe the question of ‘why we sing’ and the song answers that.”
Ninety percent of the concert will include songs that the choir has learnt for the first time and have had only a week to practise. “It’s challenging but I believe that with Professor Wilson’s guidance and the girls’ hard work and dedication, we can do it.”
Following their first taste of music by Richard Smallwood, this time Prof. Wilson had introduced the group to more of the composer’s work. The choir will also be performing more contemporary music by Roger Holland and other gospel songs by Robert Roy.
“We start with more traditional pieces but then move on to more gospel music,” Soundarie explains, adding that the audience can expect gospel and spiritual music from the ‘80s and ‘90s. It’s a performance that anyone with a love of music, can enjoy. For her personally, the concert will be a renewal of her faith as she strongly believes that we have a Creator, who watches over and guides us.
After being exposed to gospel and spiritual music, through his family’s southern musical heritage, Prof. Wilson has sung with, trained and accompanied numerous gospel choirs in the United States.
According to him, over the years he and the Soul Sounds have become endeared to each other. “We listened to each other’s cultural stories, our histories and backgrounds. Soon, we started realizing that the music connected us. Our relationship represents what is really at the root of excellent choral singing,” he explains adding that music can create a lot of hope in challenging times and bring peace to the world.
Emphasising the message of peace, he adds that he enjoys the more traditional gospel music, which he was introduced to as a child. “It’s a variety of sounds that brings good news, it brings hope, joy and opens our hearts. In the world we live in today, we’re most certainly in need of these elements of life.”
He strongly believes that gospel music calls us to be instruments of peace and global ambassadors of hope and love in a world where hatred and injustice take the spotlight.
“Why do we sing and why do we sing Gospel music? We sing because music, and in this case sacred music from the African-American Gospel tradition, makes us happy, stirs up good spirit and good karma within human hearts,” Prof. Wilson says.
Tickets priced at Rs. 2000, 1000, 750 and 500 (balcony) are available at the Lionel Wendt Theatre.