For 20 years now, the Sea To Sky Singers have been serenading Squamish with their graceful vocal harmonies.
The group is going to celebrate its achievement with a two-day anniversary on Oct. 4 and 5, sharing song and memories. Fifty to 75 alumni and existing members are expected to show up to the event at St. John's Anglican Church.
On the Saturday, the group will gather to sing, rehearse and reminisce. Sunday, they'll welcome the public with two performances and an open house featuring old uniforms, programs from past shows, and a video project.
Colleen Koop remembers when she first got things rolling with the Singers in 1994. Their first show was at Brennan Park and over 500 people turned up to watch and listen to the performance.
鈥淲e were doing Silent Night and we had candles. The room was packed. It was just like how it was originally performed years and years ago. It was the most amazing experience.鈥�
Koop moved to Squamish from Whistler in 1994 and recognized the town's vocal void. 鈥淚 thought OK, we need to start a choir here. I directed the choir for the first nine years and then Veronica took over.鈥�
Since the choir's inception, they've had over 240 members, six of whom have been with the group for the whole period. 鈥淚t's been a great element for lots of different people, getting together as friends, singing. So many great friendships have come as a result of it,鈥� said Koop.
One memory that Koop regards fondly is of Dan and Elaine's wedding.
The pair was getting married and before their official ceremony, the rest of the Singer's arranged an impromptu wedding at their farm up Squamish Valley Road.
鈥淚t was a hillbilly wedding. I dressed up in a pig costume,鈥� said Koop.
鈥淪omebody was a blacksmith and made rings for the group and we still have them. We had somebody that was the father of the bride. There was a song that we sang called Mari's Wedding, we changed the words to reflect 鈥楧an and Elaine's Wedding.鈥欌��
Another member, Kirstin Clausen, has been with the Singers since she moved to Squamish in 2000. Her favorite pieces to perform are gospel music like, Rise Up Shepherd. Clausen said that she isn't fond of the pieces that are in different languages, recalling one Christmas when the Singers performed in German, French, Hebrew, Russian and Portuguese. 鈥淏ut some people love those. The reality is there are 50 people with an opinion of what we should sing and when and how.鈥�
Clausen notes the leadership of Colleen Koop, Veronica McPhee and Aaron Purdie as central in keeping things running smoothly for the choir over the past 20 years.
She conveyed that the real value of the Sea To Singers and other groups like them is in creating a sense of community.
鈥淲hen people are struggling personally there's a group that cares, you can go to. The choir might not be you, but imagine a community that doesn't have these kinds of groups in it 鈥� how void and empty that place would be.鈥澛�
