To celebrate Canada’s 150th anniverary, Squamish and Whistler choirs will join forces to perform a show in the Britannia Mine Museum on May 5.
The diverse Sea-to-Sky Singers concert will feature 100-per-cent Canadian content with local composers and arrangers in the mix.
Jonathan Reich will accompany the 13 songs on the piano for the choral show. His favourite number is the acapella piece called “Woodsmoke and Oranges.” The work will vary from unusual, like the song “Mountains,” to peppy and fun, like “Where the Coho Flash Silver.”
Entitled “Routes,” the event is a play on words, said Veronica McPhee, the choir director. “It is the idea between what roots us to this country and each other, as well as the routes we take in our life.”
McPhee meticulously selected all of the songs and spent the last few months rehearsing with 45 singers. With members from 20 to 70 years old, she said the scope of career paths and circumstances isn’t so typical but all come together for the shared purpose.
“I do feel that singing is so accessible to everyone whether they grew up with a musical background or not,” she said. “People from different walks of life and experiences can join forces to have a common goal.”
Songs range from classical to folk-inspired with five composers that live in B.C.
In fact, Joanna Schwartz, a featured local composer, came to a recent rehearsal to offer insights. “It was incredibly empowering to connect that way,” McPhee said, adding that it’s not often that the person who wrote it can be there to teach.
Excited about the unique venue in the mine, she suggests bringing blankets to add to the experience as sometimes it can be cold.
“I am very curious about choral music in unexpected places,” she said. “It’s perfect for Canada 150 and emphasizes the connection we have to this place. The water right out the window and being within the rock is why so many of us are here in Squamish.”
The May 5 performance at the Britannia Mine Museum Concentrator Building will be starting at 7:30 p.m.
The performers will be also taking the stage on May 6 at 7:30 p.m. in Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church in Whistler.
And if you haven’t had a chance to catch them by then, they’ll also be in town playing on May 7 at 2 p.m. in St. John the Divine Anglican Church.
