How Six Vancouver Choirs Made Lemonade Out of Lemons
by Jennifer Champagne, Music Team Coordinator, Lions Gate Chorus
Since the world changed in the spring of 2020, so has the landscape of organized singing. What used to seem like such a simple joy became something dangerous to do. Choirs and choruses were “superspreaders” and our rehearsals and performances had to move to the virtual world.
Lions Gate Chorus is fortunate to have strong leadership that has kept us moving forward throughout these long months of the pandemic. Our motto has been WEST, We’ll Emerge Stronger Together, and we have!
One of the projects that kept us going was RESILIENCE: Virtual Choir Summit, organized by Rebecca Lam of Chorus Studio in Vancouver. In February of 2021, Rebecca reached out to Lions Gate Chorus and four other Vancouver choirs inviting us to participate in this project with Chorus Studio and her YVR Pop Choir. She had arranged the song A Place In The Sun by Stevie Wonder in four-part harmony with a solo line. The idea was to create a virtual show with virtual performances from each group, culminating in the joint performance of A Place In The Sun. The directors were to be the featured soloists.
The summit was a great success and we all had a wonderful experience getting to know each other’s groups and seeing the unique style of each one. There were interviews with members and each of our directors where we shared our experiences in finding our way through the pandemic.
I invite you to watch the end product and enjoy the amazing performances by:
Universal Gospel Choir- director Lonnie Delisle
Quayside Voices - creator Stephanie Lam
Harmony Mountain Singers & Roots ‘N’ Wings - director Karla Mundy
YVR Pop Choir - director Rebecca Lam
City Soul Choir - director Karly Mundy
Lions Gate Chorus - director Sandy Marron
You’ll find the Virtual Choir Summit recording and related videos at the links below:
Virtual Choir Summit Zoom Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7TFrq2RbWs
A Place in the Sun Music Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWFXQRMlMP4
Here is a list of the songs from each choir that were aired during the summit!
Please note that some of the songs mentioned below are not on YouTube but are included in the Summit recording above. Links to individual songs have been provided where available.
Hope - Jason Robert Brown (Universal Gospel Choir): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aqllts-obrA
It Is Well - traditional hymn (Universal Gospel Choir): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx3juqRc1i0
Rise - Katy Perry (Quayside Voices): https://open.spotify.com/track/0Cd6VvFYzdE7vzOCgygwit?si=a0c7bf352ffb4141
We are the Champions - Queen (Quayside Voices)
Cabaret (Lions Gate Chorus)
Fight Song - Rachel Platten (Lions Gate Chorus): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONUjkGMJP0Y
Oh My Love - Cara Luft (Harmony Mountain Singers)
Somewhere Over the Rainbow (Harmony Mountain Singers)
There is More Love Somewhere (Rhythm ’N’ Roots)
Sleepers Awake - Mike Heron (Rhythm ’N’ Roots)
Vaccine - Weird Galz (Dolly Parton/COVID Parody) (YVR Pop Choir): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ur-56uQw8g
Come Out and Play - Billie Eilish (YVR Pop Choir)
Speak - Myron Butler (City Soul Choir)
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough - Ashford & Simpson (City Soul Choir)
Jennifer Champagne is proud to be a Bass in Bewitched Quartet and Lions Gate Chorus, where she also serves as Music Team Coordinator. She commutes to rehearsals from Palm Springs in the winter months.