JIREH GOSPEL CHOIR
Winner of the GOSPEL ALBUM OF THE YEAR (Gospel Music Association Canada)
JIREH Gospel Choir, based in Montreal and directed by Carol Bernard, has carved out quite a name for itself in the music industry in Canada and Europe. Composed of about fifteen singers plus musicians, JIREH members have travelled throughout the province of Quebec, to the rest of Canada, to the United States, and all the way to France and Italy to share their love for gospel music and spread its contagious energy. Whether performing outdoors or in an intimate setting, the choir delivers a powerful punch that leaves no one unmoved. From timeless classics to original compositions, JIREH perfectly combines traditional and contemporary gospel sounds.
Recent Highlights:
Montreal International Jazz Festival 2022
Montreal Symphony Orchestra – Christmas concert 2019 broadcasted on ICI Radio-Canada Télé
Bobby McFerrin – Montreal Jazz Festival 2018 closing concert
Bell Centre – opening (45 minutes) for 12 time Grammy Award winner Kirk Franklin
A testament to the choir’s dedication and unique brand of gospel music, JIREH Gospel Choir won the prestigious Gospel Album of the Year award in 2015 from the Gospel Music Association of Canada for their album “Get Up”. In 2012, the group won Gospel Song of the Year for their song “Quoi qu’il arrive”.
Dedicated to delivering authentic yet creative music, JIREH’s singers and artists push the musical boundaries of gospel by infusing their sound with their unique brand of joyful and reflective music all the while respecting the heart and soul, and traditions, of the music they love.
JIREH Gospel Choir’s foot-stomping beats will transform even bystanders into active participants while the music’s uplifting message will raise your spirit for days to come!
Concert highlights include:
Bell Centre
Montreal International Jazz Festival
Montreal Symphony Orchestra
Toronto Jazz Festival
Discover Jazz Festival, USA
Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland
Cirque du Soleil
Théâtre Télébec, Val d’Or
Salle Desjardins-Telus, Rimouski
Festival Jazz et Blues de Saguenay
Tremblant International Blues Festival
8-concert Quebec tour with Mario Pelchat
TV and Radio appearances include:
Télé-Québec – Belle & Bum
ICI Radio-Canada Télé – Great Voices of Quebec Sing Christmas
Radio 98.5 FM – Le Québec Maintenant
CJAD 800 AM
CTV
CBC / SRC (radio)
City TV – Breakfast Television
Global TV – 100 Huntley Street
Radio-Canada TV – Cap sur l’été with Marc Hervieux
CAROL BERNARD
Director
Carol Bernard has built an impressive music career as choir director, entrepreneur, singer, and producer. She founded Jireh Gospel Choir and Montreal Gospel Choir, was a judge for the JUNO awards, juror for FACTOR, and was also the director of the music department of a French-speaking church with more than 2,000 members. In February 2013, her contribution to Quebec society was recognized when she was named a Black History Month laureate. In addition, her workshops are received with great enthusiasm, both in Canada and in Europe.
Born in Montreal to Jamaican parents, Carol was encouraged to start classical piano lessons when she was 8 years old. Not too many years later she started directing the choir at her small church. However, it wouldn’t be until many years later that she would leave a senior management position at CN Rail to pursue music full time. Bernard returned to university and completed a degree in music at the Université de Montréal, adding to her existing degree in mathematics and computer science from McGill University.
Carol is married to Ted Dettweiler and lives in Montreal, Canada.