Portland, Maine — August 24, 2007 —Rock My Soul, a nondenominational, 25-member choir that specializes in lively, roots-based gospel and rich harmonies, will appear at the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church in Portland, Maine. The concert begins at 7 pm. The group’s newly-released CD will be available, and refreshments will also be for sale. Doors open at 6:30 pm. The concert is a fund raiser for Peace Action Maine, a center for all people committed to disarmanent and creative responses to conflict. The event is co-sponsored by The Freedom Trail, a permanent walking trail of thirteen marked sites that help tell the story of the Underground Railroad and abolitionist movement in Maine.

As a recent review in The Wire states, “Unless you’re from the South or attend a church with a bangin’ choir, you’re not likely to hear bona fide gospel tunes sung the way Rock My Soul performs them.” With its unique brand of rousing, raise-the-rafters gospel music, Rock My Soul has garnered an ever-growing following and performed to packed houses throughout New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Maine. The group is as tight and polished as any fine choral ensemble, yet has the immediacy and soulfulness of the authentic gospel music it seeks to revive. In October 2005, Rock My Soul shared the stage with Boston’s legendary Silverleaf Gospel Singers, recipients of the New England Conservatory of Music’s Lifetime Achievement Award. As one member of the group said, “You just don’t get to hear gospel done this way anymore. I’m so glad [Rock My Soul is] doing it!”

In addition to performing the songs, the group tells the stories behind them so that audiences gain a deepened appreciation for gospel music’s rich cultural heritage. “Every form of American popular music is based on gospel,” says Dawn Boyer, lead soloist and co-founder of the group. “And it has lasted through centuries, giving people sustenance and hope. Whether you go to church or have never been, gospel creates a sense of joy that reaches across divides and brings us together. That’s powerful stuff.”

Rock My Soul was featured at Merrill Auditorium for the Martin Luther King celebration in December 2006. Their performances have never failed to bring the audience to their feet, and the uplifting, full-spirited singing by this interfaith, nondenominational group is also sure to make listeners want to dance with joy. “And we’re thrilled to bring our music to the Portland area by performing at the First Parish UU Church. In only two years, we’ve begun to see audiences of 400 to 500 people. Knowing that we’re performing it to help listeners feel connected to something positive and joyful, to teach them a bit about the origins and meaning behind gospel music, and to celebrate the strength of the human spirit gives us all a sense that we’re helping to make things better, one song at a time.” Featured soloists for the evening will be Dawn Boyer, Brett Hartenbach, Carolyn Morse-Finn, and Mark Weaver. A full band, including Eric Donnelly on keyboards, Brett Hartenbach on guitar, Victor Love on bass, and Marty Quinn on drums and percussion, will accompany the choir.

Due to the group’s popularity, advance ticket purchase is strongly recommended. Tickets for the concert are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. Please call the Peace Action Maine office at (207) 772-0680 or visit www.peaceactionme.org or www.dfgp.org to reserve them.

Rock My Soul is part of The Gospel Music Project, a nonprofit, nondenominational umbrella organization dedicated to raising awareness of and educating audiences about American gospel music and its positive impact on our history and culture. In performing the songs and describing the history behind them, the GMP hopes to lift hearts, open minds, and bring people closer together to understand the meaning of peace, equality, respect, unity, and justice.