The last season of Choralations Children’s Choir saw a smaller group than usual — only nine kids. It’s not really enough to make a good choir — 20 is optimal — but they did well, said their teacher and choir leader Janice Brunson. One of the children who had been singing since Grade 3 went on to join the Vancouver Bach Children’s Chorus.
In the past Choralations has been an award-winning choir, and could be again, if Brunson has her wish.
She would like to start fresh this September, with some new and unchanged voices of children between grades 4 and 10. The younger children are less inhibited and have more of a pure tone to their voices, plus there’s so much good music written for a treble choir (the soprano voices of young boys and girls).
Brunson started Choralations in 1990 as a music teacher in conjunction with School District No. 46. The choir travelled to a choral Olympics in Germany and earned distinction. They went to Ottawa for Canada Day to sing on Parliament Hill, they have performed at Vancouver’s Kiwanis Festival and one year they journeyed to Kathaumixw, the international choral festival in Powell River. Brunson believes that these kinds of performance experiences build confidence and they could happen again.
One of her most successful alumna is Elizabeth Currie Buono who grew up singing with Choralations and now sings with the Vancouver Bach Choir, a celebrated symphonic choir.
It’s not as if Brunson needs more hours with the baton. She is the current conductor of the Suncoast Concert Band, she leads A Cappella Strait, an adult choral group, and is the choir director for St. John’s United Church.
“But when I retired from teaching,” she told the Coast Reporter, “I still wanted to do the children’s choir. I get the most back from the kids.”
So she moved the choir out of the school system and continued to lead it. Previously, the high school students received credit hours for their singing (though not the elementary kids) but Brunson does not think this loss of school credits is a factor in the reduced enrolment. She points out that the choristers simply grow up and graduate, while not enough younger kids want to fill in. But she’s keen to start again.
“I believe I can move them along quickly,” Brunson explains, teaching the repertoire of classical choral music sung in various languages. “Learning Latin is easier than you’d think,” adding that it does require correct pronunciation. “They develop a critical ear quickly.”
Interestingly, three of her former students have gone on to study linguistics, perhaps inspired by their exposure to languages.
For those wanting to join the choir no experience is necessary but the student and parents must make a commitment. Rehearsals are important, once a week on Wednesdays. Brunson promises a high quality singing experience and notes that singing together has health benefits.
“We release endorphins when we sing as a group. We always leave feeling better than when we arrive,” she said.
For more information about the choir and application forms see: www.choralations.ca.
