Choir Invisible and Luyanda Je

Choir Invisible and Luyanda Jezile ‘Make a Joyful Noise’

Choir Invisible, The Desmond and Leah Tutu Peace Choir, with South African singer Luyanda Jezile will present two massive regional concerts at Lincoln’s fabulous ‘Engine Shed’ on Friday 18 July and at Nottingham’s top venue, the Albert Hall, on Saturday 19 July.

Choir Invisible and Luyanda Je

choir invisibleWell-known to British concert-goers for their unique mix of gospel and soul harmonies – singing African-American acapella alongside the heart songs of South Africa – the mighty Choir Invisible’s 75 singers will be making ‘a joyful noise’ this July, at the culmination of a three-month project called Intsholo Yovuyo (‘Joyful Noise’ in Xhosa) with South African performer Luyanda Jezile.

Choir Invisible is the only choir in the world to bear Desmond Tutu’s name. When he heard Choir Invisible sing for him in 2008, subsequently inviting them to be his own choir in the UK, he said, “If I closed my eyes, I would think it was African voices!”

The choir sang again in Tutu’s honour at a prize-giving in 2012 at UNESCO HQ in Paris. This Tutu connection has brought the choir together with Luyanda Jezile, who performed for Desmond Tutu with his London African Gospel Choir, alongside Annie Lennox, at the prestigious Templeton Prize award ceremony at London’s Guildhall last year.

Choir Invisible’s founding director Sally Brown said, “The choir met Luyanda through our connection to Archbishop Desmond Tutu and a singing collaboration was inevitable! Luyanda and I share the same deeply-held view of singing – that if it isn’t about ‘making a joyful noise’ then you’re not doing it right!  There’s absolutely nothing stiff and starchy in what we do, but there is a great deal of beauty and artistry.”

Add sheer joy to that and you find yourself hearing the sort of life-enhancing music that grabs hold of your heart and makes you want to dance and weep and laugh —all at the same time! It has rightly been said that, “This is not a choir — this is some kind of passionate, multi-limbed singing organism!”

Choir Invisible brings together people from very different backgrounds. This is a choir which does not use any written music, choosing instead to learn their songs in the same way that those who created them did, singing everything ‘by ear’ and ‘from the heart’ in the traditional way.

A leading South African singer based in the UK, Luyanda Jezile has sung regularly with international artists like Hugh Masekela, and on film soundtracks such as The Lion King and the recent Nelson Mandela biopic.  In 2008 he completed a nine-year run in The Lion King in London’s West End. Last December he and the London African Gospel Choir sang in tribute to Mandela at the Houses of Parliament and on BBC1’s The One Show.

Luyanda’s talented daughter, Asanda (Britain’s Got Talent’s extraordinary 12-year-old finalist in 2013), will be making a special appearance as guest soloist – as will his wife, Prudence, also a professional singer, who will sing Desmond Tutu’s favourite song accompanied by the choir.

They will also be joined by phenomenal jazz-soul singer Mellow Baku. Mellow has toured both solo and with London-based World/Dub/Jazz ‘Soothsayers’, in venues such as The Barbican, Southbank, The Jazz Café, North Sea Jazz Festival and The Knitting Factory in New York. “A new voice in British music, with an original blend of reggae soul and jazz.  Superb voice, brilliant music, a must for all” — Courtney Pine OBE

Concert details:

Engine Shed, Lincoln: Friday 18 July

Doors open 7-7.15pm for 8pm.

Tickets £12 in advance, £14 on the door

For The Engine Shed, walk in or tel: 0844 888 8766. Online at:

Online at: www.engineshed.co.uk/gigs-and-live-music/2014/july/18/choir-invisible:-%E2%80%98make-a-joyful-noise%E2%80%99/

Albert Hall, Nottingham: Saturday 19 July

Doors open 7-7.15pm for 8pm.

Tickets £12 in advance, £14 on the door

For The Albert Hall, from Nottingham Tourism Centre, walk in or tel: 0844 477 5678

Online at: www.gigantic.com/intsholo-yovuyo-tickets

info@choirinvisible.co.uk

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