STAND BY ME AND KAREN GIBSON

 The Kingdom Choir Brings Gospel Spirit and Holiday Cheer to Toronto


By Stephen Weir

Halloween has come and gone, and with it, all the skeletons and wispy ghosts have been packed away. What's next? A quick visit to any store reveals the answer: Christmas! Stocking stuffers and tree decorations are already on display, and holiday music is making its way into the airwaves. For many, the festive season means the return of a unique tradition—celebrating with music. And this year, one of the most beloved gospel choirs is coming back to Toronto.
Too soon? Maybe so, but people are already eager to purchase tickets to see and listen to Karen Gibson, aka the godmother of British gospel, and her 15-member Kingdom Choir are coming to town. It is an early evening of of Gospel music and Christmas carols at the George Weston Recital Hall.
Don’t recognize the name? Think back. Remember the Royal Wedding. Were you one of the 2 billion people who watched the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018? Remember when a gospel choir stood at the front of St. George’s Chapel in Windsor? Remember how when they sang Stand By Me, it seemed as though everyone in jolly old England, including Queen Elizabeth, burst into tears?

That was Karen Gibson (above) standing in front of an almost all-Black choir directing the Kingdom Choir.
Gibson hasn’t forgotten the wedding, and she hasn’t forgotten Toronto either. She and the Kingdom Choir will be performing at the North Toronto hall on Sunday afternoon, December 1st.
This isn’t the first time they’ve been in Toronto, Gibson told the me “We were on tour in 2019 and performed in Toronto. It was wonderful when the audience came into the theatre, they were sensitive, singing and dancing to our music!”
They are currently touring North America and, in late November, will be performing in Ottawa (Fri, Nov 29), Kingston (Sat, Nov 30), and Toronto (Sun, Dec 1).
“No, I don’t get tired of performing Stand By Me because I know how it will move the audience,” she told me. “It signals a memory people never forget. It won’t be all spiritual, though—it will be a mixture. We will be singing Christmas songs, too.”

Gibson describes the 20+-year-old choir as a group of entertainers and friends from in and around London who are passionate about
Caribbean Camera
producing a sound that resonates in people’s hearts. Gospel music is a glowing example of the
unity within the British gospel community—and come December 1st, Toronto will experience that too.


The Kingdom Choir Brings Gospel Spirit and Holiday Cheer to Toronto
By Stephen Weir
Halloween has come and gone, and with it, all the skeletons and wispy ghosts have been packed away. What's next? A quick visit to any store reveals the answer: Christmas! Stocking stuffers and tree decorations are already on display, and holiday music is making its way into the airwaves. For many, the festive season means the return of a unique tradition—celebrating with music. And this year, one of the most beloved gospel choirs is coming back to Toronto.
Too soon? Maybe so, but people are already eager to purchase tickets to see and listen to Karen Gibson, aka the godmother of British gospel, and her 15-member Kingdom Choir are coming to town. It is an early evening of of Gospel music and Christmas carols at the George Weston Recital Hall.
Don’t recognize the name? Think back. Remember the Royal Wedding. Were you one of the 2 billion people who watched the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018? Remember when a gospel choir stood at the front of St. George’s Chapel in Windsor? Remember how when they sang Stand By Me, it seemed as though everyone in jolly old England, including Queen Elizabeth, burst into tears?
That was Karren Gibson standing in front of an almost all-Black choir directing the Kingdom Choir.
Gibson hasn’t forgotten the wedding, and she hasn’t forgotten Toronto either. She and the Kingdom Choir will be performing at the North Toronto hall on Sunday afternoon, December 1st.
This isn’t the first time they’ve been in Toronto, Gibson told the me “We were on tour in 2019 and performed in Toronto. It was wonderful when the audience came into the theatre, they were sensitive, singing and dancing to our music!”
They are currently touring North America and, in late November, will be performing in Ottawa (Fri, Nov 29), Kingston (Sat, Nov 30), and Toronto (Sun, Dec 1).
“No, I don’t get tired of performing Stand By Me because I know how it will move the audience,” she told me. “It signals a memory people never forget. It won’t be all spiritual, though—it will be a mixture. We will be singing Christmas songs, too.”
Gibson describes the 20+-year-old choir as a group of entertainers and friends from in and around London who are passionate about producing a sound that resonates in people’s hearts. Gospel music is a glowing example of the unity within the British gospel community—and come December 1st, Toronto will experience that too.

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