Universal Gospel Choir closes season with Songs of Resilience
70-plus member choir performs two shows June 13; group previously backed Alicia Keys and Chris Martin.
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The Universal Gospel Choir, a 70-plus member ensemble that has shared stages with international superstars Alicia Keys and Chris Martin, returns to Canadian Memorial United Church on June 13 for its season-closing concert.
The show is titled "Songs of Resilience," and the choir promises material that honours struggle and celebrates strength. Music Director Lonnie Delisle has kept the setlist under wraps, but the program aims to explore "the ways faith, love, laughter, and community continue to carry us forward, even when the path feels uncertain." That message lands especially now, as uncertainty seems the baseline of daily life.
How good is this choir? Good enough to have been hand-picked to sing with 17-time Grammy winner Alicia Keys when she performed at Rogers Arena in 2022. Good enough to be the choir that backed Coldplay frontman Chris Martin during the opening ceremony of the 2025 Invictus Games at BC Place. The group has earned its reputation through tight harmonies and genuine emotional weight—the kind of goosebump-inducing sound that transforms a concert from performance into community gathering.
The Universal Gospel Choir represents something increasingly rare: a long-running, multi-faith ensemble that treats music as a collective act, not a product. The fact that they continue to attract world-class collaborators speaks to the quality they bring.
Shows run at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on June 13 at Canadian Memorial United Church.