Time: 7 p.m.
Tickets:$25
Freedom Singers celebrate the season at the Empress Theatre
Fort Macleod, AB (Nov. 30, 2015) – The Willow Creek Gospel Music Jamboree is pleased to bring the
Freedom Singers to the Empress Theatre on Friday, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. for a fundraising Christmas concert.
This event is raising money to support the organization’s annual Jamboree, held each July, that brings
together gospel musicians from all over Canada.
The Freedom Singers, Simon Ivascu, Steven Ivascu and Wesley Pop, fled to Italy from Romania when
they were teenagers. They were avoiding persecution and imprisonment for refusing to join the army
due to their beliefs. Simon and Wesley crawled into a shipping container, which was then locked and
placed aboard a container vessel. They spent two weeks in total darkness, headed to an unknown
destination. In 2011, they appeared on CBC's The Dragon’s Den with the book that tells their story.
The first Jamboree, held in 1997 in Granum, Alberta, was organized by a group of gospel music fans from local churches. Each July, the Jamboree draws hundreds of attendees from across southern and central Alberta and British Columbia. The event is funded by free will offerings gathered over the event weekend, as well as grants and fundraising events. Tickets for the Freedom Singers are $25 and are available through the Empress box office, online at www.macleodempress.com or by calling 403-553-4404 (toll-free at 1-800-540-9229).
For more information about the show, please contact Bryce Stinson, president of the Willow Creek Gospel Music Jamboree, at 403-634-6051. For more information about the theatre, contact Tim Ranson, Executive Director, Empress Theatre, at 403-553-4404 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
About the Empress Theatre
The Empress Theatre in Fort Macleod is a rare gem: one of the oldest operating theatres in the province.
Built in 1912, the elegant Empress hosts movies, musicals and musicians throughout the year. From the
neon tulip lights that grace the theatre’s pressed tin ceiling, to the original ticket wicket and dressing
rooms (not to mention our resident ghost, Ed), the Empress is a special place where neighbours gather
to celebrate and nurture local, Albertan and Canadian performers. We look forward to having you join
us.