Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
( ♪♪ Singing ♪♪ )
>> Peter: IT'S A LONG WAY FROM
SOWETO TO TORONTO, BUT THE
TORONTO CHILDREN'S CONCERT
CHOIR SHARES SOMETHING
IMPORTANT WITH THE
GRAMMY-WINNING SOWETO GOSPEL
CHOIR, OVERCOMING THE ODDS.
THIS WEEK, THE LITTLE CHOIR
THAT COULD WAS WARMING UP
AUDIENCES AT ITS BIGGEST VENUE
YET FOR SOUTH AFRICA'S
INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED
SINGERS.
THE CBC'S MICHELLE CHEUNG HAS
THAT STORY.
( ♪♪ Singing ♪♪ )
>> Reporter: YOU CAN'T GET TO
THE CANADIAN EQUIVALENT OF
CARNEGIE HALL WITHOUT
PRACTICE...
>> A LITTLE TOO SLOW.
>> Reporter: PRACTICE...
>> OKAY, BACK TO THE
BEGINNING!
>> Reporter: PRACTICE.
THE TORONTO CHILDREN'S CONCERT
CHOIR, BETTER KNOWN AS T.C.3,
IS SQUEEZING IN ONE MORE
PRACTICE BEFORE PERFORMING AT
THE HUMMINGBIRD CENTRE, THE
BIGGEST VENUE IN THE CHOIR'S
SIX-YEAR HISTORY.
THESE SINGERS HAVE BEEN
INVITED BY THE CENTRE TO BELT
OUT SOME TUNES IN THE LOBBY, A
WARM-UP ACT FOR THE SOWETO
GOSPEL CHOIR.
THE CHOIR RECENTLY WON A
GRAMMY AWARD FOR BEST
TRADITIONAL MUSIC ALBUM.
IT GREW OUT OF THE BLACK
COMMUNITIES IN SOUTH AFRICA.
TOURING THE WORLD FOR THE
LAST THREE YEARS, MAKING MUSIC
IN SIX LANGUAGES AND RAISING
MONEY FOR AFRICAN CHILDREN
ORPHANED BY ***/AIDS.
THE STUDENTS HERE DON'T WANT
TO LET THE CHOIR OR THEMSELVES
DOWN.
>> Interview: IT'S VERY
IMPORTANT THAT WE GET IT RIGHT
BECAUSE THERE'S NOT GOING TO
BE ANOTHER CHANCE FOR US TO DO
THIS.
>> Interview: IT'S PRETTY BIG,
LIKE, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN TO THE
HUMMINGBIRD CENTRE.
IT'S A HUGE PERFORMING ARTS
CENTRE.
I THINK -- WOW.
>> Reporter: EVEN THE
CHOIRMASTER IS BOUNDING WITH
NERVOUS ENERGY.
T.C.3 HAS BEEN REVEREND DENISE
GILLARD'S BRAINCHILD.
SHE SAYS THE INVITATION TO
OPEN FOR THE CHOIR FROM SOUTH
AFRICA IS HUGE FOR THESE KIDS.
>> Interview: IF THESE FOLKS
CAN TRAVEL THE WORLD AND
OVERCOME, SO CAN WE.
YOU KNOW, THEY CAN OVERCOME IN
THEIR OWN CLASSROOMS, IN THEIR
OWN COMMUNITIES, IN THEIR OWN
-- THEY'LL THINK ABOUT WHAT
THEY HAVE, AND THEY'LL GO
FORWARD.
>> Reporter: INTIMIDATING, BUT
IMPRESSIVE FOR A CHOIR THAT
STARTED WITH 5 BUCKS, BORROWED
SPACE, AND 11 KIDS.
BUT THEY'VE BEATEN BETTER ODDS
THAN THIS.
THE CHOIR HAS GROWN TO MORE
THAN 50 STUDENTS FROM ACROSS
TORONTO AND ITS SUBURBS, MANY
FROM THE CITY'S POOREST
NEIGHBOURHOODS, MANY NOW
COMMITTED TO THE HOURS OF
PRACTICE AND TO EACH OTHER.
GILLARD SAYS SOME OF THESE
SINGERS JOIN HER CHOIR AT A
POINT WHEN THEY'RE GOING TO
CHOOSE EITHER THE HIGH ROAD OR
THE LOW ROAD.
>> Interview: I OFTEN HAVE
KIDS WHO MAYBE HAVE GOTTEN
CAUGHT SHOPLIFTING OR MAYBE
THEY'RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION
IN SCHOOL OR THEY'RE JUST ON
THE EDGE OF DROPPING OUT OR
PERHAPS THERE'S BEEN SOME KIND
OF FAMILY BREAKDOWN, AND
THEY'RE FEELING THE PRESSURE
OF THAT.
>> Reporter: NOW THE PRESSURE
IS TO PERFORM, BUT BEFORE THEY
DO, THEY'RE INVITED TO SIT IN
ON THE SOWETO GOSPEL CHOIR'S
REHEARSAL.
( ♪♪ Singing ♪♪ )
>> Interview: IT KIND OF MAKES
ME WANT TO BE A BETTER
PERFORMER BECAUSE I'VE SEEN
THEM.
I WANT TO BE LIKE THEM TOO.
>> Interview: I JUST THOUGHT
IT WAS AMAZING, FROM THE FIRST
SECOND THAT I WALKED IN HERE.
I ACTUALLY GOT DRAWN TO THE
MUSIC AND HAD TO BE PULLED
BACK AND SAT IN A SEAT.
>> Reporter: 16-YEAR-OLD ZACH
JONES HEARST AND TWO OTHER
DRUMMERS ARE HARDLY BEING
DRAGGED IN TO SHARE TIPS WITH
THIS MAN.
>> CAN YOU SHOW ME...
( Drum Beat )
>> Reporter: HE'S BEEN
DRUMMING WITH THE SOWETO
GOSPEL CHOIR SINCE ITS
INFANCY.
HE SAYS HIS HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
IN A TOWNSHIP IN SOUTH AFRICA
MAKES VISITS LIKE THIS
SPECIAL.
>> Interview: YOU KIND OF
REJOICE WHEN YOU GET THINGS
LIKE THIS HAPPENING BECAUSE
YOU'RE LIKE, OKAY, WOW, HERE
WE GO.
AT LEAST NOW WE CAN GET TO
MEET SOME OF THE CHOIR, YOU
KNOW, AND THEN YOU CAN SHARE
-- MAYBE SHARE SOME
EXPERIENCES.
>> Interview: IT WAS AMAZING.
LIKE, HE WAS A REALLY GOOD
DRUMMER, AND HE JUST PICKED UP
ON WHAT WE WERE PLAYING AND
TAUGHT US A COUPLE OF NEW
THINGS THAT WE DIDN'T KNOW.
>> Reporter: JONES HEARST
ALWAYS ENDS UP AT THE BACK OF
THE CHOIR BECAUSE OF HIS
HEIGHT, BUT HE SAYS IT DOESN'T
MATTER WHERE THEY STAND, THEY
ALL LOOK OUT FOR EACH OTHER.
>> Interview: THERE'S BEEN
PEOPLE WHO MIGHT NOT HAVE HAD
THE BEST LIFE BEFORE T.C.3,
AND THEY CAME IN, THEY'RE
DOING SOMETHING POSITIVE, AND
THEY'VE CHANGED.
THEY'VE GROWN THEMSELVES.
>> OUR YOUNG PEOPLE ARE JUST
REALLY EXCITED.
SO WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR
COMING UP AND HANGING OUT WITH
US.
>> Reporter: GILLARD SAYS SHE
HOPES THIS PERFORMANCE WILL
PUT A PICTURE OF POSSIBILITIES
IN THE MINDS OF HER SINGERS.
>> Interview: I'M LOOKING AT
BEING AN OLD LADY SITTING IN A
ROCKING CHAIR AND SEEING THESE
YOUNG PEOPLE GROW UP TO BE
ADULTS THAT WILL TAKE
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE
COMMUNITY AND DO THIS KIND OF
WORK.
♪ THANK YOU ♪
>> Reporter: TODAY THE
CHILDREN'S CHOIR IS OUT HERE
IN THE LOBBY, BUT SOME DAY
THEY WANT TO BE IN THERE WHERE
PEOPLE ARE WAITING IN LINE TO
SEE THEM.
WHY NOT DREAM BIG.
MICHELLE CHEUNG, CBC NEWS,