- Words by Jane Zatylny Photography by Lia Crowe

I love to sing鈥攑rivately. In the shower. In the car. And around the house. I鈥檝e never thought I was good enough to sing in any kind of public way. But singing in a choir, I鈥檓 learning, is about more than just hitting the right high notes.

鈥淚f you want to sing with other people, just do it,鈥� urges Marc Jenkins, director of The Choirs YYJ. 鈥淚t feels good, whatever your skill level.鈥�

Marc tells me that Victoria has the highest number of choirs per capita in the country. 鈥淭here are more choir singers than hockey players in Canada, too,鈥� he quips.

Different sorts of choirs are springing up all across the province, from the traditional symphonic, educational or auditioned choir to choirs that practice and perform pop music or gather to sing a hit together on a single night.

Choirs, of course, are all about community. And after the seclusion of the pandemic, it obviously feels great to gather again and work together as a community on a song or two. But something else happens when people gather to sing together, Marc says: 鈥淚f two people sing next to one another for four months, their bodies get to 鈥榢now鈥� one another. That鈥檚 when the hook goes in with choir.鈥�

Lynda Kaye felt a strong pull when she first started singing with the Tofino Ucluelet Choir. She was part of a choir in junior high and loved it, but didn鈥檛 do anything with singing again until her 60th year.

鈥淪ome musician friends of mine told me about a woman named Sophie L鈥橦omme, who was starting a choir. I went in to that first rehearsal and鈥攚ow鈥攊t changed my life overnight.鈥�

Seven years later, Lynda is still hooked on choir.

鈥淭here wasn鈥檛 a rehearsal in Tofino where I didn鈥檛 laugh and cry and feel fantastic. It was just an extraordinary, extraordinary experience. And everybody that I know who鈥檚 done it has felt the same way,鈥� she says.

The creation of harmony鈥攍iterally, as well as metaphorically鈥攊s another very powerful aspect of choir, says Marc: 鈥淚n a way, we鈥檙e like bees in a hive.鈥�

I dropped in to listen to one of Marc鈥檚 rehearsals and saw immediately what he meant: there was laughter and close camaraderie as people arrived, greeted one another, and set up chairs. And then sweet, sweet sounds flowed across the room, from soprano voices to alto, then from to tenor to bass.

The vibe in the room was contagious, even from my chair at the back of the room. I couldn鈥檛 help but sing softly, too, close my eyes and sway to the music.

Rebecca Lam, creative director of the Vancouver-based Chorus Studio, explained why: singing, she said, releases endorphins and oxytocin, the famous feel-good hormones. Ah, that makes sense.

鈥淐onnecting with music and expressing yourself creatively is an empowering endeavour,鈥� says Rebecca. 鈥淪inging in a choir is also a wonderful way to meet people and make new friends. We鈥檙e vulnerable with each other because you have to be while singing. This naturally cultivates camaraderie between people.鈥�

Lynda now divides her time between Tofino and Victoria and continues to participate in her Tofino Ucluelet choir via Zoom. She鈥檚 been checking out local Victoria choirs, too, and expects to find a new choral home in Victoria soon.

To anyone thinking of joining a choir, she advises: 鈥淚f you have even an inkling that you might want to sing in a group, give it a go. Go someplace, find a drop-in choir or go to a choir performance and observe how it鈥檚 done. Talk to a choir director or someone else who鈥檚 in choir. Just give it a go.鈥�

And don鈥檛 let your musical insecurities or inexperience hold you back. In the Tofino Ucluelet choir, Lynda said, half of the people knew how to read music and half didn鈥檛.

鈥淚t鈥檚 an advantage if you can read music, but it鈥檚 not a requirement,鈥� she explains. 鈥淲hen you raise your voice with a group of people, the community of choir pulls everybody with it. It鈥檚 okay if you miss a note or forget your lyrics because we鈥檙e all there to hold you up.鈥�

The joy of choir all comes back to that undeniable feel-good factor, says Marc. 鈥淚f you sing in the shower or you sing in the car, and want to do that with other people, do it, because it feels really good.鈥�

Here are some tips to consider if you鈥檙e thinking of joining a choir:

Do your research.

Go online and find out what sorts of choirs there are in your area, then go to a few concerts to see what you like.

鈥淢ost choirs will have a website or social media presence,鈥� says Marc. 鈥淭here you can get a flavour of what the choir will be like.鈥�

Recognize that choir is a commitment.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e all doing it and you鈥檙e all working hard at getting good at it,鈥� says Lynda. 鈥淵ou have to learn the music, you have to practice the music, you have to show up for a rehearsal. And you have to be okay with repeating, repeating, repeating until you get it right.鈥�

Shy on commitment?

Consider a drop-in choir. There are many one-night performances where you learn a pop song and record it with the group in a single evening.

鈥淲e鈥檒l still obtain a goal,鈥� says Marc. 鈥淲e鈥檒l do a little three-part harmony.鈥� (The Choirs YYJ will do a Beatles drop-in choir night in June.) Check online for a drop-in choir event in your area.

Don鈥檛 be intimidated.

鈥淲e like to say, 鈥業f you can speak, you can sing,鈥欌�� says Rebecca. 鈥淚t is outdated to believe that one is either born with talent or not. Musical ability can be cultivated and nourished.鈥�

And lastly, don鈥檛 give up.

It may take time to find the right choir, says Marc. It鈥檚 like buying a car; sometimes you have to kick the tires.

鈥淪ome of it can be social too,鈥� he says. 鈥淔or instance, if you鈥檙e really extroverted and you join a choir that鈥檚 pretty introverted, you might be like, 鈥榃hy does nobody like me?鈥� It鈥檚 worth scoping around and trying things until you find your way.鈥�

Info

The Choirs YYJ

thechoirsyyj.com

A collective of three Victoria-based ensembles that represent over 200 people of all ages, genders, experiences, vocal abilities and musical tastes.

Chorus Studio

thechorusstudio.com

A Vancouver-based community of adult pop choirs, professional voice lessons and performance workshops, and regular open mic and karaoke nights.

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
Like Boulevard Magazine on and follow them on