Good Noise Vancouver Gospel Choir Brings Good Tidings! this Holiday Season

Good Noise Vancouver Gospel Choir (Good Noise) presents their much-loved holiday concert, Good Tidings! Dec. 15 at 8pm & Dec. 16 at 3pm and 8pm at Christ Church Cathedral. This year, Good Noise will be joined by critically- acclaimed Canadian jazz singer Maureen Washington in a glorious program of gospel, soul and jazz Christmas hits to get audiences in the spirit of the festive season.

“Our audiences often tell us it just wouldn’t be the holidays without coming to a Good Noise Christmas concert,” says Gail Suderman, Artistic Director, Good Noise Vancouver Gospel Choir. “Each year the performances sell out – in fact, some patrons are so overjoyed by their experience at the first concert, they are compelled to buy a ticket for the next day! That’s the power of gospel music, and with Maureen Washington’s stunning jazz vocals added to our 90-voice choir, audiences are in for a wonderful treat this year!”

Praised for her ‘lush sound’ (CBC Radio), guest artist Maureen Washington will appear with Good Noise for the first time, showcasing her vocal virtuosity with soul-stirring gospel as well as popular Christmas classics with a twist. Echoing the haunting tones of Etta James and Carmen McRae, with an incomparable ability to make any work distinctly her own, Washington has been named ‘Best Jazz and Soul Artist’ by the Black Canadian Awards. One of the most sought-after vocalists on Vancouver Island where she is based, Washington has three-times been recognized by Victoria’s Monday Magazine as ‘Jazz and Blues Artist of the Year’.

With nine albums under her belt, Washington is known for her superb performances of jazz, blues, swing, funk and R&B. The singer’s musical career began in her hometown of Prince George, BC, where she performed in the funk-jazz band BOP. This beguiling talent has since shared the stage with esteemed artists including Miles Black, the Blind Boys of Alabama, Valdy, Ruthie Foster, The Lee Boys, Amy Millan, and more.

The Good Noise Good Tidings! concert offers a bevvy of boisterous holiday hits, among which the high-energy gospel song Rejoice by gospel great Richard Smallwood, and a new jazz fusion/gospel arrangement of Hark the Herald Angels Sing by gospel dynamo, Israel Houghton. The choir will also premiere Suderman’s arrangements of Stevie Wonder’s Someday at Christmas and a Darlene Love/Staple Singers inspired the song, Who Took The Merry out of Christmas? As a powerful finale with Washington in the spotlight, the choir will perform the traditional Christmas favourites, Sweet Little Jesus Boy and Go Tell It On The Mountain.

Accompanying Good Noise and Washington for this much-anticipated holiday event will be a stellar band: Michael Kalanj (Hammond B3), Laurence Mollerup (bass), Elliot Polsky (drums), Ingrid Stitt (saxophones), and Artistic Director Gail Suderman (piano).

ABOUT GOOD NOISE VANCOUVER GOSPEL CHOIR (goodnoisevgc.com):
Good Noise Vancouver Gospel Choir (Good Noise) was founded by Artistic Director, Gail Suderman, in 2004. Over the years, the choir has been invited to perform alongside acclaimed artists such as Barbra Streisand, Holly Cole, David Foster, Josh Groban, Jim Byrnes, Dee Daniels, and more. The choir is renowned for its upbeat and inspiring annual concert season – garnering many sold out performances. In addition, they have recorded two successful CDs – both of which have been nominated for Covenant Awards (Canadian Gospel Music Awards). Good Noise has also appeared on numerous high-profile television shows on CBC, Bravo, Knowledge Network, Global TV, and most recently in a nationally televised concert on Vision TV.

The 90-voice Good Noise has a membership that includes singers from across the Lower Mainland, from the North Shore to Abbotsford and every town in between. Members of the choir come from a diversity of faith traditions (or none at all) sharing a common love of singing gospel and popular music. Good Noise is currently choir-in-residence at one of downtown Vancouver’s finest historic venues, Christ Church Cathedral.