A Night in Honour of Marcus Mosely to celebrate the artist’s induction into the B.C. Entertainment Hall of Fame and StarWalk, Sunday, Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. at Vancouver’s St. James Community Hall. Tickets: $10, visit brownpapertickets.com.
When singer and actor Marcus Mosely first saw his new StarWalk Star, recently installed on Vancouver’s Granville Street near the Commodore Ballroom as part of his induction into the B.C. Entertainment Hall of Fame, he was truly overwhelmed.
“(When) I finally found it, it was like tunnel vision. I can’t tell you who’s on either side of me,” the North Vancouver resident says with a laugh.
The announcement of the honour, which came earlier this year, has been “mind-blowing” to say the least, according to the founder, artistic director and leader of The Marcus Mosely Chorale, and member of The Sojourners.
“It’s something that I never expected or thought might come my way,” he says.
Mosely feels incredibly blessed for the friends who he says “conspired together” to help him earn the accolade. Their generosity has left him humbled.
“My choir members are some wonderful people and I’m really grateful for them. They have this uncanny ability to know the right time to do things in my life, that happen at the right time in the right way, and this is one of those times,” he says.
Mosely reflects on his 60th birthday when the choir held a surprise party for him, going so far as to fly his mother up from the states.
“They told me that we had a team meeting for the choir, which we do regularly. I showed up at the place and walked in the door and there was everybody there. And it was my mom who answered the door and I was shocked of course. I started blubbering right away when I realized what was going on,” he says.
Those same friends are the ones banding together for a special celebration to honour his induction into the B.C. Entertainment Hall of Fame this Sunday evening, Nov. 13, at Vancouver’s St. James Community Hall. Members of The Marcus Mosely Chorale and a host of musical guests will take the stage, including Dee Daniels, Jim Byrnes, The Tenors’ Clifton Murray, Candace Churchill and The Sojourners’ Will Sanders. Mosely himself will also take the stage, as will representatives from the hall of fame.
Originally from Ralls, Texas, Vancouver has been Mosely’s home for the last three decades.
“I came here just before Expo 86. Once I’d been here for a while I decided this is going to be home. I was a missionary for a lot of years, I lived very itinerantly, I lived out of a suitcase for a long time.
When I came to Vancouver I realized this is going to be home, this is where I’m going to put down roots,” he says.
Upon settling in the Lower Mainland, Mosely continued to work to find his place and make his mark in the local creative community, connecting with area musicians and those involved in the theatre.
“It’s been a wonderful, amazing journey ever since then,” he says.
His career highlights range from starring in stage productions like Show Boat, as well as producing his own show at the Arts Club Theatre Company entitled It’s Time to Sing, a chronology of African-
American Gospel music from slavery to present time. He has sung around the world, worked with countless artists in the studio and appeared on screen and as a voice performer in a wide range of projects.
“I love Vancouver. The city and the people of Vancouver have always been so generous and kind to me. They’ve given me opportunities to do what I love to do and that’s make music and to sing. When I talk to people, they say, ‘What do you do?‘ And I say, ‘Well, I’m one of those people that’s very fortunate to get paid to do what I love to do and that’s to sing,’” he says.
In addition to this weekend’s celebratory event, members of The Marcus Mosely Chorale have a busy holiday season ahead of them. Some upcoming highlights include a performance at the Dundarave
Festival of Lights at West Vancouver’s Dundarave Beach Nov. 26, Yule Duel in Gastown Dec. 1 and Out For Lunch at the Vancouver Art Gallery Dec. 2.
The choir will also present its annual winter concerts Dec. 17 at Vancouver’s Unity Church and Dec. 18 at North Vancouver’s Highlands United Church.
For full concert listings and more information, visit themarcusmoselychorale.ca.
