Meet Our Founder
Audrey
French
Audrey French is a Canadian singer, musician, and choir director with a deep passion for equity in the arts, youth engagement, and gospel music. She is the Founder and Project Director of GospelFest, Edmonton’s first gospel festival. Inspired by her father’s love for gospel, Audrey has been performing since the age of three, gracing major stages across Edmonton and around the world.
Audrey’s faith lies at the heart of her artistic endeavours, serving as a source of hope, encouragement, and constant joy. She firmly believes that gospel music is for everyone—regardless of background, faith, or culture. Her work is rooted in challenging barriers in the arts and fostering a more inclusive environment for Black and equity-deserving artists in Edmonton and beyond.
As a Black Canadian artist, Audrey lives by the belief: “If all of us — regardless of race — have giftedness, then we all deserve to be heard.” Her ultimate vision is to establish a thriving annual gospel festival in Edmonton, foster intentional community, and create opportunities for Black creatives for years to come.​​
One Time Choir
One Time Choir is a vibrant group of young people with one mission - keep the choir alive. Originally intended to be a "one time thing", OTC was born out of a difficult season in Audrey's life. She had a vision: a grand choir dressed in white, brought together for a single, powerful performance—a moment of light in the midst of darkness. What began as a "one-time thing" quickly evolved into a movement.
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Since then, One Time Choir has performed across Alberta and is honoured to be the feature choir at GospelFest.​ At its heart, One Time Choir exists to be a source of joy and beacon of hope for all who witness their ministry, boldly reminding the world of the history and beauty of gospel music.
"Growing up, gospel choirs shaped me in ways words can hardly capture. Their music gave me hope when it seemed in short supply, placed a song in my heart when I felt voiceless, and encouraged me through my darkest nights. I owe so much of who I am to the beauty of gospel music — but more than anything, to the majesty of the choir." Audrey French
If anyone can make a
difference, everyone can
“The tapestry of my life has been woven from three main threads of my identity – my faith, my culture, and music. My hope is to create platforms to use my gifts, fervour, and leadership to impact my community, and inspire the kind of change I wish to see in Edmonton and the world at large. If anyone can make a difference, everyone can – that is my heart's posture, commitment, and continual motivation. I am eager to pioneer a first-of-its-kind festival that will, with hope, have a lasting impact on the cultural fabric of Edmonton for years to come.”
