It’s been said that choirs are a metaphor for life.
In a choir, you’re reminded that we are all part of something bigger than ourselves and we learn that everyone’s voice, no matter how big or small, matters. It was that fundamental truth that once led Paul McCartney to say that listening to a choir gave him a sense of optimism for the human race.
And while Denis Donnelly, the director of the Wavelengths Community Choir in Sidney, doesn’t immediately articulate that deep understanding of why choirs have such power, it’s obvious that he knows.
“I was living in Nanaimo back when it was a blue-collar community and in about Grade 11 or 12 I stumbled into the choir room (following my girlfriend at the time, really) and that moment changed my life,” said Donnelly.
“I fell in love with the music, went on to get a bachelor of music in university, and went on to become one of the founders of the Victoria Folk Music Society.”
In 1998, Donnelly went back to his love of choral music and co-directed the Gettin’ Higher Choir in Victoria.
“I guess that once you have the choir bug, you’ve got the bug for life,” he said.
In 2018, Donnelly shifted his attention to a new choir based out of Sidney, and the Wavelengths Choir was born.
The 60-voice choir will bring the magic of their music to the Mary Winspear Centre stage in Sidney on Saturday, Feb. 1 for a performance entitled Concert for the Earth.
“The concert is all about the habitation of the landscape, and our responsibility as humanity to preserve and protect what we’ve been given,” Donnelly said.
“We’ll be performing songs by Pete Seeger, Stan Rogers, and Bob Marley and, one of my personal favourites, Bonny Portmore – a traditional Irish song that laments the loss of the great oak forests of Ireland to the British who came in and cut them all down to make their ships. When the choir sings it, the feeling is magical.”
The Wavelengths Community Choir is a non-audition group that welcomes anyone with a love of singing and a desire to add their voice to the magical sound that this group produces.
“This is the end of our season, but we’ll be starting up again in March to prepare for our spring concert in June,” said Donnelly. “Anyone who wants to join us is invited to our first sessions on the first two Mondays in March. We’ll have an orientation at that time.”
Folks who want to join choir after that time can register by contacting the registrar at registrar@wavelengthschoir.ca.
In keeping with the theme of the Feb. 1 concert, concert proceeds will be going to support the work of the Habitat Acquisition Fund.
Tickets for the Wavelengths Community Choir concert are available at marywinspear.ca/event/wavelengths-community-choir-concert-earth.
