The city of New Orleans is defined by its music, with such hits as "Iko Iko" by Dr. John, "Jambalaya" by Hank Williams and countless others.
That's why Just in Time Choirs is paying homage to the city with their spring concert.
鈥淭he music borne of the vibrant multicultural hub of New Orleans has heavily influenced modern music genres such as jazz, blues, R鈥檔鈥橞, and gospel,鈥� says Wendy Nixon Stothert, Just in Time鈥檚 founder and choral conductor. 鈥淲ith 40 of us from Just in Time having travelled to NOLA during March Break, we鈥檝e gleaned a deeper understanding and appreciation of the musical legacy of New Orleans and we鈥檙e looking forward to sharing that with our audience.鈥�
The choir is inviting folks to join them in celebrating the fabulous, diverse music of this vibrant and iconic city, the city that gave us Louis Armstrong, Harry Connick Jr., Jon Batiste and John Boutte to name just a few.
"The songs are legendary," a release from the choir says. "The choirs will be covering much loved tunes like 鈥淚ko Iko鈥� by Dr John, Hank Williams鈥� 鈥淛ambalaya鈥�, the trifecta of 鈥淪weet鈥�, 鈥淔reedom鈥�, and 鈥淚t鈥檚 All Right鈥� by Jon Batiste, the cherished 鈥淢r Bojangles鈥� by Jerry Jeff Walker, and a reprise of a choir favourite, 鈥淧roud Mary鈥�. And of course, a New Orleans set list would not be complete without Harry Connick Jr.鈥檚 鈥淚t Had to be You鈥� and 鈥淲hat a Wonderful World鈥� by the master, Louis Armstrong."
Now in their 20th year, the Just in Time choir organization is thriving. It is made up of three ensembles: Unplugged, The Jems, and Vocal Minority. Everyone is welcome to join the Unplugged ensemble, while the other two are smaller, auditioned groups.
These renowned local contemporary choirs will be joined by talented musical collaborators: Sean Mooney on piano, Britt Bowman on bass, Beau Stocker on drums, and special guest, Rachel Cooper on clarinet and saxophone. The infectious joy that all three choirs project in their presentations is uplifting and entertaining and has the audience tapping their feet and singing along.
Just in Time Choirs are presenting 鈥淣ew Orleans鈥�, their Spring Concert at the Sid Williams Theatre in Courtenay at 7:00 pm on Saturday April 26.
Tickets are $25.00 for adults, $15.00 for children 12 & under (including fees). There is also a live stream option for $25.00 per household, and we are again offering a limited number of Community Supported Tickets at $15 for those under financial constraint. Tickets and full details available online from the Sid Williams Theatre or the Just in Time web site. Tickets may be purchased at the door, subject to availability, but patrons are encouraged to purchase tickets early as performances regularly sell out.
"So, if you 'feel like funkin鈥� it up' join us at the Sid," the release says. "We look forward to sharing the joy of singing with you and welcoming you to the show!"
