Do you like mass choral music, accompanied by world class violin and all the while supporting a Syrian refugee family?
Music unites us in a powerful way. Come celebrate National Music Monday, May 1 at 6:30 p.m. in the Mark Isfeld gym with the second annual Choral Musaic, a benefit concert for Safehaven: Refugee Sponsorship Group. Admission is by donation at the door.
Six large choral ensembles are coming together to raise their voices to help bring positive change into the world. Hundreds of singers from the Celebration Singers, Comox Valley Children’s Choir, Just in Time Choirs, Ecole Puntledge Park Elementary Choir, SD71 Fine Arts E-Cademy Choir and guest choir Phrase-ology from Nanaimo are offering their talents to entertain and inspire.
The choirs will perform individually and then combine their voices in a mass number, Salaam Alaikum, which is the Arabic greeting meaning “May Peace Be With You.”
This year, there will be a very special musical guest performing. Sari Alesh is an acclaimed Syrian violinist who has been living in Victoria for just over a year. He was classically trained in Damascus, Syria, and for six years toured Europe and the Middle East with the Syrian National Symphony Orchestra.
He also became a sought after session musician for five years with various Middle Eastern Pop Music Stars. Alesh entered Canada in 2016 under the Refugee Program and resides in Victoria where he attends English language studies at UVic. While at university, Sari became noticed by maestro Ajtony Csaba and was offered a chance to play with the University of Victoria Orchestra where he quickly became a sought-after player for benefit concerts and community events.
While the focus of the evening is definitely music, the benefit will be to more than the listeners, as all proceeds from this event will go to a newly formed refugee support group.
Safehaven: Refugee Sponsorship Group consists of 18 ordinary Comox Valley individuals who are doing an extraordinary thing - saving a Syrian family of seven. Their application for the family (widowed mother with four children under 13, and the grandparents) was approved by the Canadian government and forwarded to the Canadian embassy in Turkey where they are “sheltering.”
To date, Safehaven has raised $68,000 towards this goal and they are extremely grateful to the compassionate citizens of the Comox Valley who have donated goods, funds or simply been encouraging.
The actual budget for the family is $62,000 for their first year with any overage collected to be used to repay the travel loan for the family that they are billed by the government (airflights estimated at $10-$15,000).
Before and after the concert, Safehaven representatives will be present to answer questions. As well, patrons will be able to sign up on their email list to stay tuned to developments.
At that time, patrons can also make a donation and receive a charitable tax receipt on the spot. Safehaven will be holding an upcoming public meeting on May 30 for any individuals who wish to get involved and help with the settlement of this family, so sign the email list to stay informed.
Cheques for donations will be accepted. Make out to St. George’s United Church with the memo line tagged “Safehaven” or “Refugee Fund.”
There will also be in attendance representatives of the local Iraqi-Kurdish Refugee Committee who will be selling copies of their book for $20, with all profits going towards their efforts to bring a Kurdish family into the Comox Valley.
Please join us for an evening of extraordinary music and a celebration of the power of song to bring people together, even across continents and cultures.
The doors open at 6 p.m. with the concert starting at 6:30 p.m.