Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir Worldwide Call for Singers
OIGC Presents its Holiday World Choir Project: SING JOY!
OAKLAND, CA – "Get ready for some scoopage!" Terrance Kelly and the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir invite singers from all over the world to sing Joy to the World and scoop up some joy, officially launching the Oakland Interfaith World Choir with its second project Sing Joy!
Singers can join any of two upcoming workshops led by Artistic Director Terrance Kelly to learn the song, receive instructions, and ask questions. Submissions will be edited together into a video premiering at OIGC's 36th Annual Holiday Concert on Saturday, December 4.
“We’re singing for joy. There are so many reasons not to be joyous during a pandemic, but this is what African American Gospel is teaching us: What you’re going through, you sing it out. You sing out your anger, sing out your angst and pain. You sing until it turns into joy.”
~ Terrance Kelly, OIGC Artistic Director
In early 2020 when the pandemic hit, OIGC stayed connected with choir members and audiences through virtual rehearsals and performances. With the help of technology and its team of volunteer video editors, OIGC launched its inaugural World Choir Project in the Spring of 2021. Nine countries participated in five different languages for I Won't Stop Singing My Praise, an original song Kelly wrote at the start of the pandemic to remind us all to keep on singing.
OIGC remains committed to the international and nationwide connections it created during the pandemic. Participation in the World Choir Project is free with donations gratefully accepted. Anyone with an internet connection and video recording device or cell phone is welcome to participate.
Registration is now open for the optional workshops:
SAT, Aug 28: Workshop 1 (registration required)
SAT, Sep 18: Workshop 2 (registration required)
THU, Sep 30: Final video submissions due
SAT, Dec 4: OIWC's Joy to the World at OIGC's 36th Annual Holiday Concert
Visit www.oigc.org/oiwc for more information and to
download detailed instructions for the SING JOY! World Choir Project.
Members of the Oakland Interfaith Gospel, Youth, and Community Choir pose for “Joy!”
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Founded in 1986, the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir is a nonprofit 501(c)3 performing arts organization born out of a gospel music workshop led by Terrance Kelly at Living Jazz’s Jazz Camp West. It became an independent nonprofit organization in 1995. The OIGC family of choirs now includes a 75-member performance choir, 20-member youth choir, and a 180-member community choir performing under the organization’s mission to inspire joy and unity among all people through black gospel and spiritual music traditions. For more info, visit www.oigc.org.
CONTACT INFORMATION: ISA S. CHU - ISA@OIGC.ORG - 510.839.4361
