Thanksgiving brings feelings of gratitude for all we experience and share with each other at Pacific Edge Chorus, as well as gratitude for the place we live, the music we sing, and the friendships we enjoy with each other. We embraced two excellent and resourceful coaches who helped us learn and rediscover many aspects of what membership in our organization offers. Lisa Greenough helped us identify three goals that we are incorporating into our chorus life. Joy, harmony, and commitment are just three aspects of our guiding principles. If one of those three concepts isn’t happening, change it! Sandy Marron spent two days with us to help us bring life to our new contest songs – what fun! Sue and Lolanda show us how NOT to stand! We look forward to introducing them to you in May!

We are almost finished our membership drive lesson series with a premier performance for friends and family of the 16 guests, as they feel the joy of being surrounded with the sounds of our art form! Look out, families – you’re in for a ride you won’t forget!

Pacific Edge Chorus’ summer highlight was performing at Cameron Bandshell in Beacon Hill Park. We were ‘back to the future’ at Victoria City’s Beacon Hill Park, Cameron Bandshell (story here). This was where, in 2004, Pacific Edge Chorus, Director Julie Smith (known then as City of Gardens) and a newly chartered Greater Victoria Chorus, Director Marcia Pinvidic (dissolved), sang together for the first time – later to unite officially in April 2005, creating one larger, stronger unit of voices – and we never looked back, except, of course, to tell this wonderful story of unity and progress.

Rain was the forecast, but it did not dampen our spirits. Although the day started on a cloudy note, by the time we got to the park, the sky was clearing, leaving the sun to sparkle on the droplets remaining. Norma brought heavy towels that she, Barb D, and then Frankie used to mop up the benches – it paid off, as the benches were at their capacity, and much to the delight of Lolanda’s guests, who were fully expecting to get wet for the sake of our performance – their bottoms remained dry!

We filled the air with a musical array of songs from several genres and age brackets. Our chorus; Quartets: Cloud 9, Chrysalis, and Cascade; two smaller groups from within our chorus: Scotland the Brave; a double quartet – Cloud 9 and Cascade – sang "Lazy Day." What a line-up of music we delivered to that wonderful audience on that August day.

In their abundance, the audience was absolutely one of the best we’ve ever had, considering the forecast at day’s dawn, and the time of day (1pm to 3pm) on a Saturday – seemed an awkward time to draw such a crowd that stayed. Our director Julie decided in midstream to change up the timing of our program, so we didn’t take an intermission and sang straight through for our gracious audience. They gave one of the longest standing ovations that I think we’ve ever experienced, so we hung out on stage a bit longer to show our gratitude for their warmth.

An official chorus photo-shoot was pre-arranged for us after the performance. Although the sun was bright and warm by then, the wind was intense. Nonetheless, we strolled along together through a windy park, to various scenic spots that our pro-photographer, Deborah Price, found suitable for a bunch of chorus and quartet frames to be taken. No better time for a chorus photograph, when we all had to be out anyway to do what we love to do – sing and perform. Most of us wound up the day with dinner together at the Spaghetti Factory – it was a magical day.