Squamish’s adult community choir is putting together a concert filled with music and poetry.
Sea to Sky Singers will be hosting a spring concert titled Well Versed! on Saturday, April 27, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 28, at 2 p.m. at St. John the Divine Anglican Church on 1930 Diamond Rd. According to choir conductor and artistic director, Veronica McPhee, the concert coincides with the celebration of National Poetry Month, even if the overlap was a bit by accident.
“April is Poetry Month. I didn’t actually know it when I made this concert, but this concert is pretty amazing because it’s all about poetry,” McPhee told The Squamish Chief, with a laugh.
Alongside choral arrangements accompanied by Andrea Cotter on piano, there will also be three local poets performing: Emily Buck, Farrah Theresa and Yin Xzi Ho. The poets will work with the audience on a poetry slam, typewriter poem and collaborative audience poem.
“There’s a lot for people to really engage with,” said McPhee
McPhee described typewriter poetry as off-the-cuff poems created within a few minutes, whereas the poetry slam will see the audience give the poets certain writing parameters. Finally, the collaborative poem will see the audience jotting down words and phrases as they listen to an instrumental piece which will then be arranged into a poem.
The choir has seen a surge in participation in recent years, with the total number of participants averaging about 55 singers in recent months, according to a news release from the choir. McPhee said the age range spans from folks in their 20s to their 80s.
“I've been conducting the choir for 21 years now, it has never been this big,” she said.
“It's a great mix of people who have come for lots of different reasons. Some people who pursue music in lots of different ways in their life, and some people who have been with us for years and years, and then some who have never been in a choir before.”
McPhee said that mix is one of the reasons she loves working with the choir so much.
“It is an access point for so many people. You can join with a variety of ages and walks of life and experience levels,” she said.
Tickets for the spring concert are $25 for adults and teens and free for children 12 and under. They can be purchased at the door or online at seatoskysingers.net.
