Montreal Jubilation Gospel Choir
Encyclopedia
The Montreal Jubilation Gospel Choir is a choir from Montreal
, Quebec
, Canada
that sings primarily Gospel music
.
in 1982 and gave its first performance at the St. James United Church
in Montreal. The first members primarily came from The Montreal Black Community Youth Choir, which existed between 1974-1981. The two other founding members were the Reverend Frank Gabourel and Daisy Peterson Sweeney
, the sister of Oscar Peterson
, who taught both her brother Oscar Peterson
and Oliver Jones to play the piano. The choir was founded to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Montreal's oldest black community church, Union United Church
up the street from the Atwater Market on the corner of Delisle and Atwater, which borders the St. Henri and Little Burgundy
neighborhoods. The Reverend Frank B. Gabourel was the minister of the Union United Church from 1968 to 1981.
The Montreal Jubilation Gospel Choir, one of the world's finest choirs, performs at gospel celebrations in Montreal
and across Canada, the United States, and Europe. The choir's repertoire focuses on traditional and contemporary gospel music but has added a mix of music ranging from Gregorian chant
to Sebastian Bach
chorals, traditional Zulu music
and a modern Jazz
: the oratorio.
They have performed with such entertainers as Celine Dion
, Oliver Jones, Martine St-Clair, as well as The New Kids on the Block, Salome Bey
, and Ray Charles
. They have performed at many festivals, including the Montreal International Jazz Festival, the Stratford Festival of Canada
, and Toronto's Harbourfront and International choral festival.
They have recorded a total of eleven CDs, some of which have won Juno Award
s. In 1993 the MJGC performed on the Klaus König oratorio Song of Songs. In 1995 their album Jubilation V: Joy to the World won a Juno. They won the outstanding recording artist in 1987 by The Association of Gospel Music Ministries, and in 1989 they were named the best choral ensemble, and also won for best gospel album. In the years 1993 to 1995 they were named vocal group of the year by the Canadian magazine Jazz Report. The choir released a twenty-five year retrospective album in 2007, Jubilation XI - Looking Back, Vol. 2.
----
Juno Award
s
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
that sings primarily Gospel music
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
.
Musical career
The choir was founded and directed by Trevor W. PayneTrevor W. Payne
Trevor Winston Payne, CM, is a Canadian musician and member of the Order of Canada .He was born in Black Rock, Barbados, on the 21 December 1948. He became a Canadian citizen in 1982, the country he moved to in 1958. He and his family landed in the city of Montreal where he still resides today...
in 1982 and gave its first performance at the St. James United Church
Saint James United Church (Montreal)
Saint James United Church is a heritage church in downtown Montreal, Quebec. It is a Protestant church affiliated with the United Church of Canada. It is located at 463 Saint Catherine Street West between Saint Alexandre and City Councillors Streets , in the borough of Ville-Marie...
in Montreal. The first members primarily came from The Montreal Black Community Youth Choir, which existed between 1974-1981. The two other founding members were the Reverend Frank Gabourel and Daisy Peterson Sweeney
Daisy Sweeney
Daisy Peterson Sweeney is a Canadian music teacher, known for having taught many of the most notable figures in Canadian jazz music....
, the sister of Oscar Peterson
Oscar Peterson
Oscar Emmanuel Peterson was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer. He was called the "Maharaja of the keyboard" by Duke Ellington, "O.P." by his friends. He released over 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards, and received other numerous awards and honours over the course of his career...
, who taught both her brother Oscar Peterson
Oscar Peterson
Oscar Emmanuel Peterson was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer. He was called the "Maharaja of the keyboard" by Duke Ellington, "O.P." by his friends. He released over 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards, and received other numerous awards and honours over the course of his career...
and Oliver Jones to play the piano. The choir was founded to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Montreal's oldest black community church, Union United Church
Union United Church
The Union United Church of Montreal is the city of Montreal’s oldest Black congregation. It was founded in 1907 by several members of Montreal’s Black community who experienced racial conflict and were banned from entering all-White churches. Union was started with a treasury of just $1.83...
up the street from the Atwater Market on the corner of Delisle and Atwater, which borders the St. Henri and Little Burgundy
Little Burgundy
Little Burgundy is the informal name of a neighbourhood in the Sud-Ouest borough of the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Geography:...
neighborhoods. The Reverend Frank B. Gabourel was the minister of the Union United Church from 1968 to 1981.
The Montreal Jubilation Gospel Choir, one of the world's finest choirs, performs at gospel celebrations in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
and across Canada, the United States, and Europe. The choir's repertoire focuses on traditional and contemporary gospel music but has added a mix of music ranging from Gregorian chant
Gregorian chant
Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainchant, a form of monophonic liturgical music within Western Christianity that accompanied the celebration of Mass and other ritual services...
to Sebastian Bach
Sebastian Bach
Sebastian Bach is a Canadian heavy metal singer who achieved mainstream success as frontman of Skid Row from 1987 to 1996. Since his departure from Skid Row, he has had many television roles, acted within Broadway plays, and leads a successful solo career.-Early life:Bach was born Sebastian...
chorals, traditional Zulu music
Zulu music
The Zulu are a South African ethnic group. Many Zulu musicians have become a major part of South African music. A number of Zulu-folk derived styles have also become well-known across South Africa and abroad.-Mbube and Isicathamiya:...
and a modern Jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
: the oratorio.
They have performed with such entertainers as Celine Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
, Oliver Jones, Martine St-Clair, as well as The New Kids on the Block, Salome Bey
Salome Bey
Salome Bey, CM is an American actress, singer-songwriter, and composer who has lived in Toronto, Ontario since 1966. In 2005, she was made an honorary Member of the Order of Canada....
, and Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
. They have performed at many festivals, including the Montreal International Jazz Festival, the Stratford Festival of Canada
Stratford Festival of Canada
The Stratford Shakespeare Festival is an internationally recognized annual celebration of theatre running from April to November in the Canadian city of Stratford, Ontario...
, and Toronto's Harbourfront and International choral festival.
They have recorded a total of eleven CDs, some of which have won Juno Award
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
s. In 1993 the MJGC performed on the Klaus König oratorio Song of Songs. In 1995 their album Jubilation V: Joy to the World won a Juno. They won the outstanding recording artist in 1987 by The Association of Gospel Music Ministries, and in 1989 they were named the best choral ensemble, and also won for best gospel album. In the years 1993 to 1995 they were named vocal group of the year by the Canadian magazine Jazz Report. The choir released a twenty-five year retrospective album in 2007, Jubilation XI - Looking Back, Vol. 2.
Montreal Black Community Youth Choir
- The Montreal Black Community Youth Choir (RCI 424)
- Goin' Up Yonder (Presqu'ile PE 13501)
----
Montreal Jubilation Gospel Choir
- Highway to Heaven (Justin TimeJustin Time RecordsJustin Time Records, Inc. is a Canadian independent record label based in Montreal. It was established in 1983 and specialises mostly in jazz and blues...
JUST 10-2, 1986) - Jubilation II (Justin Time JUST 21-2, 1988)
- Jubilation III - Glory Train (Justin Time JUST 35, 1990)
- Jubilation IV - A Cappella (Justin Time JUST 46-2, 1992)
- Song of Songs (EnjaEnja RecordsEnja Records is a German jazz record label based in Munich, Germany. It was founded by jazz enthusiasts Matthias Winckelmann and Horst Weber in 1971....
ENJ-7057 2 1993) - Jubilation V - Joy to the World (Justin Time JUST 54-2, 1994)
- Jubilation VI - Looking Back (Justin Time JUST 66/67-2, 1995)
- Jubilation VII - Hamba Ekhaya - Goin' Home (Justin Time JUST 96-2, 1997)
- Jubilation VIII - A Cappella Plus (Justin Time JUST 167-2, 2001)
- Jubilation IX - Goin' Up Yonder (Justin Time JUST-183-2, 2002)
- Jubilation X - I'll Take You There (Justin Time JUST-215-2, 2005)
- Jubilation XI - Looking Back, Vol. 2 (Justin Time JTP 7502-2, 2008)
Awards
Association of Gospel Music Ministries' Golden Note Award- 1987 Outstanding Recording Artist
Juno Award
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
s
- 1990 nominee, Best Roots and Traditional Album: Jubilation II
- 1991 nominee, Best Roots and Traditional Album: Jubilation III - Glory Train
- 1995Juno Awards of 1995The Juno Awards of 1995, representing Canadian music industry achievements of the previous year, were awarded on 26 March 1995 in Hamilton, Ontario at a ceremony in the Copps Coliseum...
Best Blues/Gospel Album: Jubilation V - Joy To The World - 2003 nomineeJuno Awards of 2003The Juno Awards of 2003 were presented in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on 6 April 2003. The primary awards ceremony was hosted that evening by Shania Twain at the Corel Centre and televised on CTV.- Ceremony highlights :...
, Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album Of The Year: Jubilation VIII - A Cappella Plus