They say two’s company, three’s a crowd, but what about four? If you ask Colwood resident David Christmas, he would say you’ve got the beginnings of a pitch-perfect connection.
Specializing in four-part harmonies, male a cappella chorus South Island Harmony has been entertaining audiences for nearly 60 years.
“A cappella four-part harmony is a very unique sound, because we have the melody of the song sung by the leads and then we have the other three parts that put in the the harmonies, so you get a very pleasing sound,” explains Christmas, the group’s director, who has been a member for 16 years.
Brimming with musical energy and passion, the group shows no sign of running out of breath, with a spring show in the works.
Packed full of songs from the 1890s right through to the present day, ’The Fine Harmonies of Maye’ will have audience members tapping their feet, guaranteed, says Christmas.
“We have a full range of things from jazz standards to movie theme music,” he says. “So when people come to one of our shows, they'll be able to hear a wide variety of sound, a wide variety of songs, but the nice thing is, they'll probably recognize most of the songs.”
Alongside the chorus, the show will also feature performances from four different quartets, including Trounce Alley, where Christmas sings bass.
“We sing around town and we have so much fun doing that,” says Christmas. “The fun for me is the singing, but also singing with the guys in the chorus and in the quartet.”
It’s enjoyment Christmas wants other Greater Victoria men to experience, inviting anyone curious to join him and the other members who come from all over the region, including Sooke, Sidney and Oak Bay.
“This is an awesome chapter to belong to because there are not many places nowadays where guys can just get together with guys and just have a good time," he says. “And we do – we work hard, but we specialize in having fun.”
'The Fine Harmonies of Maye' will be performed on Saturday, May 3 at Colwood Pentecostal Church, 2250 Sooke Rd., starting at 2 p.m.
For more information about South Island Harmony and tickets for their spring show, visit their website: www.southislandharmony.com.
