This year was another fun and successful year for the Sea to Sky Singers.  The voices in the choir continue to develop and improve and our blend and musicality continue to grow.  Aaron Purdie joined us as Assistant Music Director. It was fantastic to have his energy, keen listening, and creative input. He conducted a song for the Christmas concert, and worked with the men for their song in the spring concert. Colleen Koop returned to STSS as accompanist and it was fabulous having her talent and expertise.

      Our annual workshop day was held at Squamish Baptist Church. Shannon Grantham led a theory workshop, which focused on rhythm reading. Anne Thomson provided insight into reading and marking scores. Melinda Hainsworth led a short icebreaker activity. We still had time for a General Meeting and Reading Sessions of our Christmas repertoire. Next year, I would love to have a Workshop/Retreat at Camp Jubilee, or similar venue, to run through new repertoire and get to know each other better.

      The Christmas concert, Come for Christmas, was anchored by the oratorio, The Three Kings, by Anders Ohrwall. It didn’t require soloists, but used 4 narrators from within the choir. The concert included other seasonal favourites and a traditional sing-along.

      We did some Christmas carolling downtown this year as fundraisers. We also participated in a Sing-along mini-concert during Wild at Art. Following the concert at the Railway Museum, we went to Hilltop House for a repeat performance for the residents and staff there. We also sang at the funeral service for long-time Sea to Sky Singers member, Irene Bryant.  Her spunk will be greatly missed.

      The spring term was all about rain, with our Singing in the Rain concert. We held a Saturday night concert at the Brackendale Art Gallery, selling cocktails for $7 or 3 for $20. The Sunday matinee was at the United Church. The local band, 3rd Octave Down joined us for many of the selections.  Thanks to Brian Marchant and Donna Harness who worked the sound. Both concerts were very well attended, and a lot of fun besides!

      I rented a digital recorder to record a rehearsal CD for each section of the choir. As a result, we did not have sectional rehearsals, and many members came to rehearsals already knowing, or at least familiar with, their parts.  It was a lot of work to record and dub the CDs (thanks to Colleen for her accompaniments and Melinda for dubbing), but well worth the time, as rehearsals focused more on harmonies and musicality, rather than note-bashing.

      In the spring term, we adapted our lateness and absence policy to keep track of members that may be in need of extra help.  Singers that missed two rehearsals in a row, or a total of three rehearsals, would be subject to a period where the Directors would assess their preparedness. Absent members were asked to call the Section Captains who were keeping track. As a result, or a coincidence, we seemed to have fewer problems with late arrivals or frequent absences.

      This year the Squamish Baptist Church requested lists of our repertoire. Sheron, Teresa, and I met with the pastor and a member of their board to discuss the situation.  At that time, we decided it was best for us to move to another rehearsal venue that allowed us more freedom with our artistic choices. We had anticipated moving for the 2009-2010 year.  Due to one of our song selections, however, a few weeks later, we decided to move to the United Church for the remainder of the term. Aaron Purdie is co-ordinating a move to St. John’s Anglican Church for next year. We will need to move our music and other possessions to another site.

      Another change this year was our uniform. The green logo polo shirt became our casual attire. This spring, Sue Purdie made fabulous silver ties for the men and scarves for the women.

      The Executive Committee met more often this year and kept on top of many of the issues and special events that arose.  Thanks to Sheron Johnson for leading as President, and the rest of the committee for all your hard work.  As well thanks to Phil Harness, who capably led up the fundraising again this year, Roy Shephard, who updated the website and Dorte Froslev, who made beautiful posters and programmes. I look forward to new growth and experiences each year. I welcome and and all feedback regarding repertoire choices, concert scheduling, or anything that would make your participation in the Sea to Sky Singers more enjoyable. Please contact me directly by e-mail at dvmcphee@shaw.ca or by phone,(604) 892 7819.