It’ll be an Easter you won’t soon forget. Local talent Kevin Pauls has once again joined forces with a range of veteran vocalists to present An Easter Celebration with Kevin Pauls and Friends.
![Clockwise, Kevin Pauls, The Wiebes and Greg Sykes will join Jody McBrayer and the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony at Centre In The Square on Apr. 6 for an Easter celebration.[Submitted]](https://www.observerxtra.com/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/post_arts_easter.jpg)
Well known for his annual Christmas event, this time around Pauls has brought together gospel and inspirational artists, along with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony for an evening of talented collaboration.
Shane Wiebe, of the husband and wife duo The Wiebes, says it will be much more than just a concert.
“Every now and then somebody comes up with an idea that sounds incredible,” Wiebe said. “And Kevin Pauls is a true dreamer. He’s come up with this idea of having some of the best around get together and make absolutely incredible music, particularly in light of it being Easter. And this being such a pinnacle for so many, both from a religious perspective and from a celebration perspective. And Kevin Pauls has actually done it. He’s gone out, hit the road and made this happen.”
Other singers joining Pauls and the Wiebes are Christian songwriters Jody McBrayer and Greg Sykes. McBrayer was a member of pop Christian group Avalon for 12 years before leaving in 2007. Since then, he released a solo album in 2002 titled This Is Who I Am. Sykes serves as a pastor and is a recording artist through Integrity Music, which has seen him sing alongside Paul Baloche.
“All of that with Kevin Pauls and the KW symphony,” Wiebe said. “Alone you’d pay $20 or $30 per ticket just to see one of these people and now you’re getting to see all of them together.”
Wiebe said they all have their music for the event and are just starting to put it together. They’ll be singing together, as well as separately, and he says it will be a “synergistic event.” He’s looking forward to rehearsing as a group and seeing it come to fruition.
“It’s incredibly passionate music,” Wiebe said. “It is musically challenging, particularly the tenor music that we’re going to be tackling. This stuff is in the rafters. It’s very challenging music for a very passionate event, but I think you have to take those types of musical challenges to create something magical.”
The event is for all ages, which Wiebe acknowledges is a difficult feat. When it comes to Pauls, Wiebe says he’s often heard him described as “Groban meets Gaither.”
“So he’s got the pop class sound of a Josh Groban, Michael English sort of thing, but he’s also got that gospel root to the way he sings,” Wiebe said.
Pauls has been nominated eight times for male vocalist of the year by GMA Canada, and received the 2005 recording of the year award at the Hamilton Music Scene Awards, among others. As for The Wiebes, their first album, Into Your Light, won Inspirational Album of the Year at the 2010 Covenant Awards, and they received their second Covenant Award in 2012 for The Hymns Collection. You may also recognize Wiebe from Canadian Idol, where he made it into the top five in 2004 and got to learn from music greats, Lionel Richie and Gordon Lightfoot.
“I can’t stress enough that it’s going to be one of those events that you walk away from going ‘I need to do that again next year,’” Wiebe said.
The events starts at 7 p.m. on April 6 at Centre in the Square. Tickets are $55 until March 29, and $60 after that. They can be purchased online at www.centreinthesquare.com.
