SoulFood for the Congo
Posted 03 March 2009
The next Artist concert for the Congo fundraising is on Friday 13th March commencing at 7.30pm to be held in the Arts Quarter Outdoor Stage. The concert will feature SoulFood, a well recognised choir in the Sydney scene offering a unique style of music from the Soul, Motown and Funk genres. In 2008 SoulFood raised their profile by becoming a contestant in Channel 7’s Battle of the Choirs. They will be supported by SPGS Junior School and Senior School choirs. Have attached a poster for your info.
What is the St Paul’s VAPA Artist Concert Series?
The VAPA Artist Concert Series is a series of evening concerts which showcase musicians associated with the Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) department of St Paul’s Grammar School (SPGS). The musicians donate their services; we raise money from tickets to give to school service projects in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
We want to showcase students’ and ex-students’ ensembles; showcase artists from our community associated with us; demonstrate and encourage musical excellence in all genres, and understanding of musical and artistic diversity; and make links to the needs of the wider world through the Congo project.
The Artist Concert Series began in 2006. Previous artists have been:
• 2006 – Gary Daley (From Bach to Radiohead and beyond)
• 2006 – Luke Webb (Whistling in the dark, album launch)
• 2007 – Racheal Cogan and Tony Lewis (Transience, album launch).
• 2007 – Cloud Control and Hotel Charlie
• 2008 – Richard Maegraith Band
We also link wherever possible to a visual artist or artists, either having student work on display, or the work of a guest artist. We had Venita Salnajs exhibiting as part of the Transience concert in 2007.
The VAPA Artist Concert Series is related to the VAPA Artist Project Series in its purpose of promoting excellence and diversity in musical and artistic work in the St Paul’s community, and enabling students to work alongside or close to professional artists.
The first two projects in the VAPA Artist Project Series were:
1. the 2003 SPGS-commissioned collaboration of visiting director of jazz studies from the University of Iowa Professor John Rapson with Gary Daley in composing, arranging and performing original jazz works, performed at SPGS with associated workshops for students
2. the SPGS-commissioned Gary Daley composition, the jazz suite In the Palm of Your Hand, written in 2004 and performed then by a St Paul’s choral group in association with Gary and professional musicians. In the Palm of Your Hand was recorded in 2004 and 2005 and released on CD, and performed in early 2006 by a combined St Paul’s choral group and professional ensemble at the Dungeon jazz venue in Newcastle, at the Blue Mountains Blues and Roots Festival in Katoomba, and for the opening of the SPGS Arts Quarter.
