A new chapter has begun for the Pender Harbour Choir with Joy McLeod as the new choir director.
McLeod moved to the Sunshine Coast over a year ago and is the founding director of Suncoast Singers. As well as having a degree in voice and organ from the Brandon University School of Music, she has directed and accompanied numerous choral groups, most recently in Victoria. Among them are the Avalon Singers, Victoria Police Chorus, Allegra Choir and Crystal Singers. The choir is enthusiastic about working with McLeod in upcoming seasons. The choir has a history that spans three and a half decades. In 1973 a group of interested singers came together under the direction of Les Fowler, and so began many years of choral singing on this part of the Sunshine Coast. The choir, made up of men and women from Gibsons to Ruby Lake, learns and performs a varied repertoire of sacred and secular music including popular, folk, Broadway and classical. An annual concert is held in June and a long tradition continues of performing for the community at annual events such as Remembrance Day in Pender Harbour, Shorncliffe, Totem Lodge, Greencourt and Christenson Village.
New members are encouraged to join the choir at its rehearsals, Tuesday nights from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Pender Harbour School of Music. Previous experience is always helpful to choristers; however, McLeod and choir members are more than willing to assist non music readers in becoming comfortable singing their part in the choir. As with most choirs, tenors are always at a premium but altos, sopranos and basses are also welcome.
Contact McLeod at 604-885-3087 or Ann Barker at 604-883-2689 for further details.
