Music to lift your heart

Prepare to be moved as the Townhall Arts Centre will next week host a concert to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Virginia Gospel Choir.

For 19 of those years Carmel Reilly has been the leader of the band, and now she’s looking forward to the choir providing a memorable occasion on November 1.

Carmel was persuaded by her sisters, Irene and Mary Reilly, who have been members throughout to take over at the helm when the original leader Jenny Chetty returned home to South Africa.

“That’s what I’ve been doing since,” says the Ballyjamesduff native.

Part of the reason for the choir’s longevity is due to how the music resonates.

“It’s not just singing a song – a melody, Gospel music is much more than that – it can become part of your bones, part of your life and it can hep you get through troubles. Nobody is immune from trouble, whether it’s trouble at home, trouble with family, trouble with work – whatever it is , there is something special about the Gospel Choir and what each one of us as individuals and friends can get from it.”

Remarkably the choir only exists because founding member, the late Eddie Winterlich happened to catch a Gospel Choir perform on Nationwide and thought: we could do that.

Originally they had a limited repertoire with the likes of the old standards, How Great Thou Art, Amazing Grace, Rugged Cross, Oh Happy Day. However, when Carmel persuaded keyboard player Gordon Chimbganda to join the Virginia fold, he opened their ears and hearts to a pantheon of American Gospel artists.

“That started a whole new road with us for the next 19 years,” recalls Carmel.

While their initial purpose was to sing at Mass, their first performance was staged in Bunnoe when which she remembers as a nerve wrecking experience.

“Being with a gospel choir was the first time I had to stand in front of them and use my hands – I can remember being extremely nervous, but it went very well.”

In the intervening time they have played countless Masses, shows, fundraisers and weddings, ensuring they aren’t too busy, but have a nice variety of performances. Performance highlight for Carmel and the choir came in April of this year when they attended a major choir event in Stockholm attended by Donald Lawrence.

“He’s a Grammy award winner from America,” explains Carmel, who lives and also runs choirs in Skryne. “He’s amazing. He came to do a whole weekend of singing and workshops with choirs from all over the world.”

Virginia Gospel Choir were honoured to form part of an Irish choir to perform at an evening concert during the event. “We sang for choirs from all over the world, including Donald Lawrence himself. It was just amazing.”

Did you have the same nerves as you had in Bunnoe?

“No,” she laughs, “I’ve got over that.”

Sadly six years ago, Carmel’s brother Thomas, who was also in the choir passed away. They all drew great comfort from the bonds of the choir, and one song in particular My Life is in Your Hands by Kirk Franklin.

“We still sing it when we’re thinking of other people - ‘You don’t have to worry and don’t you be afraid Joy comes in the morning, troubles they don’t last always’.”

Carmel is certain that Gospel songs have a power at their core.

“Whether you have faith or not, they will speak to you and move your heart and give you strength when you don’t have strength. The Gospel Choir became a family, a good group of friends, singing songs that can get you through your darkest times.”

Two decades later and the choir’s main job remains the same – to provide music for Mass on the second Sunday of the month, and in recent years, they have managed to get the congregation to join in.

“OK it might have taken us 20 years to get this far but we are getting people to sing and to clap and get involved.”

You too can sing and clap along if you head along to the Townhall Arts Centre on November 1. See advert for booking details.