SongRoots Vancouver International Festivals

GOSPEL FESTIVAL

Traditional and Contemporary Gospel Singing 

& Music from the African Diaspora

w/ Dr. Kathy Bullock and Lonnie Norwood

Sept 11-13 2026

Join Dr. Kathy Bullock and Lonnie Norwood for 3 days of embodied, deep and powerful singing. Rooted in the traditions of gospel music from the African diaspora this workshop honors, the cultural, spiritual and musical lineage of the form. Participants are invited into an immersive experience of learning, singing, and community grounded in the tradition and open to all.

At the end of the workshop we will offer a public performance to share what we have learned. The ticket for the concert is included in your festival fee.

Friday Sept 11th 7:00-9:30 (St Mary's Kerrisdale Church)

Saturday Sept 12th 2:00-5:00 (St Mary's Kerrisdale Church)

Sunday Sept 13th 3:00-5:30 (Canadian Memorial United Church)

Sunday Sept 13th CONCERT at 7:00 pm - featuring Dr. Kathy Bullock, Lonnie Norwood, City Soul Choir and the Gospel Festival Choir at Canadian Memorial United Church.

COST FOR THE FESTIVAL is $175 + GST for the weekend (this includes a ticket to the concert)

There are BURSARIES available - please register and request a bursary in the registration form.

 

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DR KATHY BULLOCK

Dr. Kathy Bullock is an educator, scholar, singer, accompanist, arranger and choral conductor who specializes in gospel music, spirituals and classical works by composers from the African diaspora.  A Professor Emerita of Music from Berea College, Berea, Kentucky, she currently teaches, performs, and conducts workshops and other programs on African American music throughout the United States, Europe, and Africa.

Dr. Bullock earned a Ph.D. and M.A. in Music Theory from Washington University in St. Louis, MO, and a B.A. in Music from Brandeis University, MA.  At Berea College she taught Music Theory, African-American Music, World Music, and other courses in music and general studies. She also directed Berea’s Black Music Ensemble, a choral ensemble that specializes in African American sacred music, developing a small student-run ensemble into an accredited, diverse, and exciting course that averaged seventy students each semester.  Additionally, Dr. Bullock designed and led new international study courses in Ghana, Zimbabwe, and Jamaica. In her role as administrator she actively participated in the college’s governance structure throughout her tenure; she was chair of the department, and member of primary governance committees. Dr. Bullock received many acknowledgements for her contributions to Berea College.  In particular, she was awarded the highly coveted Seabury Award for teaching, and was later made an Honorary Alumni of the college. Although she has now retired from fulltime teaching, Dr. Bullock recently joined the faculty of the University of Kentucky, School of Music as an adjunct, teaching and providing master classes in African American music.

​Dr. Bullock’s presentations include workshops on spirituals and gospel music and explorations of musical connections between African American culture and West African and Appalachian cultures. Other research areas include the Music of the Civil Rights Movement, and African American Women’s Contributions to the Women’s Suffrage Movement. Dr. Bullock teaches and performs at schools, universities, churches, community organizations, throughout the US, educational programs such as the Kentucky Humanities Council, and singing camps such as the Swananoaa singing camp in North Carolina and workshops in Findhorn Foundation in Forres, Scotland. Recently, Dr. Bullock was the first artist at the John C. Campbell Folk School to teach about Appalachian and African American Musical Connections.  Other research projects include the completion of an edition of art songs by contemporary African-American composers. 

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LONNIE NORWOOD

Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Lonnie Norwood, Jr. grew up with an unquenchable passion for music and community service. He knew early on that both would be integral parts of his life's work. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Luther College where he studied under the late world renowned conductor, Weston Noble. He went on to earn a Master of Music degree with an emphasis in Voice  from The Florida State University. Upon completion of his education, Lonnie taught K-12 music in Leon County (Tallahassee) and Chicago area schools, both public and private. He has enjoyed career highlights working as a versatile singer and arranger alongside such artists as Lizz Wright, Nona Hendryx, Nadine McKinnor, Ricky Dillard, Sweet Honey in the Rock, and a host of Chicago local artists. Lonnie joined the artistic staff at Uniting Voices Chicago, formerly Chicago Children’s Choir, as a conductor in 2012 and opened its vivacious Englewood Neighborhood Choir (2013). His ensemble has performed for live television and radio broadcasts, at numerous city venues including the Chicago Symphony Center and The McCormick Convention Center, and have completed four national choir tours, including one to Puerto Rico learning and performing Bomba with the Ayala family of Loíza. Their most significant work, perhaps, is serving the community of Englewood in song at local churches, parks, shopping centers, block parties, schools, and assisted living facilities. Additionally, he has been appointed Director of Africana Studies and conductor of the Lincoln Park/DePaul Neighborhood Choir at Uniting Voices.

Lonnie is an in-demand clinician of traditional African American sacred music, helping educators and ensembles understand its historical significance, incomparable African influence, vocal techniques, and the Black liberation aspects behind the vast collection of music. Norwood holds workshops frequently with high schools, colleges and universities, and community choirs. He has recently lectured for various ACDA (American Choral Directors Association) branches and universities, including Harvard University, Temple University, and Indiana University.  Lonnie collaborates frequently as a clinician and singer with international ensemble Village Harmony, including two tours to South Africa. Other educational outreach efforts include exchanges in Nassau, The Bahamas with members of the Bahamas National Youth Choir and Bahamian musicians, SongRoots (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) and the Vancouver Youth Choir. He has also authored articles along these lines of interests, including co-authoring a piece for the American Choral Directors Association’s Choral Journal (October 2018).  Every avenue of arts, outreach, and advocacy Lonnie embarks on is credited to his church upbringing. He established Audacious Praise (AP) in 2015, a multicultural arts outreach organization creating accessible, inter-generational programming that impacts social & spiritual awareness in marginalized communities. Audacious Praise is best known for one of South Shore’s finest inspirational open mic showcases, Fresh Faith Fridays, and has garnered much success in its highly regarded outreach initiative educating in the art and roots of gospel, ChicaGO REACH Gospel Workshop. Lonnie's 1st EP entitled ROOTED, a collection of songs tracing the spiritual, musical, and emotional journey of Trans-Atlantic African ancestry, was released in August, 2021. He was recently lauded by Chicago Reader as Best Music Teacher in Chicago for 2023.​ In 2025, Lonnie was appointed Choir Director for the renowned Leo High School Choir on Chicago's South Side. More information can be found at www.lonnienorwood.com.

POLYPHONY FESTIVAL

Traditional and Contemporary European and North American Polyphony

w/ Sophie Michaux, Adam Jacob Simon, Lysander Jaffe, Lexi Ugelow, Daniel Fridley

Jan 29-31 2027

At the Polyphony Festival we will work on polyphonic music from Corsica, Georgia, the Balkans, the US, music from the renaissance and original compositions. The focus of the workshop will be to explore and delight in these different manifestations of complex and beautiful multi part harmony singing from around the world and across the ages.

We will be learning as a big group all together and having breakout sessions with different sections and ALL ARE WELCOME!! It helps to be able to read music but it is not a prerequisite. What you need is a good ear and openness and willingness to learn and sing out!

The workshop will be held over 2 days - Friday Jan 29th and Saturday Jan 30th. On Sunday Jan 31st, Culomba will be performing a shared concert with Rhythm 'n' Roots choir and YOU! Workshop singers will sing the songs we have learned well enough to perform on Sunday! A ticket to the concert is included for everyone who takes part in the workshop.

When:Friday Friday Jan 29th-Sundsay Jan 31st

• Friday Jan 29th - 7-9:30
• Saturday Jan 30th 10-12:30 and 1:30-4:30
• Sunday Jan 31st - run through of material at 6:00 pm and  Evening Concert - 7:30 pm

Where: Pacific Spirit Church for the workshop and Canadian Memorial United Church for the concert.

How much: - $200 + GST (Fee includes a ticket to the concert)

Who: Sophie Michaux, Adam Jacob Simon, Lysander Jaffe, Lexi Ugelow, Daniel Fridley and a whole community of singers (including YOU!)

To read all about Culomba go HERE

There are BURSARIES available - please register and request a bursary in the registration form.

 

!CÁNTALO! FESTIVAL

Latin American Choral Festival

w/ Alina Orraca and Wilmia Verrier Quiñones

May 28-30 2027

In this festival workshop, we will sing works by contemporary composers and arrangers who have redefined the Latin American choral sound. Through intense rhythms, deeply human texts, and a richly coloured sonic palette, we will explore pieces that connect tradition and modernity.We will dive into music from Cuba, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela Argentina and Brazil.

The music is written for SATB choirs and our hope is to build a mass choir that comes together for the weekend, creating a one time choir and new connections within the city and singing community. The music will be sent out to singers ahead of time if they wish to do some pre-study. The music will mostly be in Spanish and likely one song in Portuguese and one in an indigenous language. It is not necessary to be able to speak Spanish to participate - instruction will be in English or translated into English. It is not necessary to read music and anyone who loves to sing is welcome!

When: Friday May 28th-Sunday May 30th

• Friday May 28th - 7-9:30
• Saturday May 29th 10-1:00 and 2:00-5:00
• Sunday May 30th - rehearsal at Canadian Memorial 2:00-4:00.
• Sunday May 30th Sound check 5:00-6:00 and Concert at 7:30 pm

Where: Pacific Spirit Church for the workshop and Canadian Memorial United Church for the concert.

How much: - $175 + GST (Fee includes a ticket to the concert)

Who: Alina Orraca and Wilmia Verrier Quiñones and a whole community of singers (including YOU!)

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ALINA ORRACA

Alina Orraca earned a Choral Conductor degree from the National School of Arts in Havana in 1975 and a University degree from the Institute of Higher Arts in 1981. For more than 20 years, she has been head of the Choral Music department at the National School of Arts where she founded an award winning Chamber Choir. In 1993, Alina founded Schola Cantorum Coralina. As one of the most prestigious Cuban choirs, Coralina belongs to the National Center of Concert Music. Its repertoire includes Cuban, Latin-American and world music. The choir has received awards in more than 20 national and international competitions and has sung in more than 12 countries. Coralina has recorded 7 CDs, some having won awards, and has participated in film soundtrack. The choir also participated in the Big Mass sponsored by Pope Jean Paul II, by Pope Benedict XVI (2012) and by Pope Francisco (2015), all in Havana.

Alina has been a jury member for numerous national and international competitions and is a Member of Artistic Committee: IFCM (Summit China 2012). Alina Orraca is one of Cuba’s most eminent choral conductors and educators and has presented highly successful courses, workshops, and performances in Nicaragua, the Vatican, Venezuela, Spain, Brazil, México and Sweden, as well as Cuba and Canada. Her project Schola Cantorum Coralina, created not only for her development as choral director, but also to grow and spread choral music in children, has become a model for the creation of the National Movement of Children's Choirs in Cuba.

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WILMIA VERRIER QUIÑONES

Wilmia Verrier Quiñones is a Cuban choral director based in Mexico. She is known for her innovative programming and for her commitment to breaking with the traditional and static form of the choral groups she directs.
She has received several awards throughout her career as a singer and choir director. She has given workshops, conferences, master classes and courses in different countries.
Wilmia was a professor at the main conservatories and musical institutions in Havana. She now teaches Choral Conducting at the Music Department of the University of Guadalajara, Jalisco and is the director of their chamber choir  and of the choirs of the Beckmann Foundation, in Mexico.
Wilmia is a member of the International Federation for World Choral Singing (IFCM) since 2022.
She is also the creator and artistic director of FICFE International Festival of Female Choirs in Latin America since 2018, together with her colleagues Fabiana Solana and Maria Eugenia “Loky” Travaglia. Wilmia currently directs Coro Femenina Mahayuel in Guadalajara.