Some 37 men are drawn together by the sheer joy of singing.
Formed originally for a 2007 conference held in Salmon Arm, the Shuswap Men’s Chorus has been giving full voice under the direction of Mary Landers.
The Rotary District 5060 Conference was a combined Canada – U.S. Rotary event where the men sang O Canada and The Star Spangled Banner.
“They did a couple of songs too, and they sounded so good,” says Landers, noting that, at the end of the night, it was decided the men had performed so well, a men’s chorus should be formed. “We had a bunch of guys end up joining.”
The group took a hiatus after the conference because Landers was away, but began again in the spring of 2009.
An early concert was held to raise funds for a gamma probe for the operating room at Shuswap Lake General Hospital.
“It has continued to be a chorus that has a charitable side,” says Landers. “We make donations when we can and have developed $750 scholarships for two high-school students involved in the fine arts or going into the arts.”
The Men’s Chorus has two concerts per year and rehearses Wednesday evenings from October to May.
Landers says concerts are also held on Wednesday nights not only because it works well for members but because the Shuswap Singers and the Salmon Arm Community Band have weekend concerts.
Chorus members travel to Salmon Arm from Vernon, Sorrento, Enderby and Sicamous, and several original members continue to sing with the group.
“We have quite a big core who have been there all the time; some go and come back and others join,” Landers says, her eyes lighting up as she talks about they guys. “They’re a great group of people; many are retired and they were all successful in their careers. I think they’re all kind of winners.”
Not only do the men have a terrific work ethic, but they have a great sense of play and, despite their wide degree of difference in terms of politics, interests etc., they mesh very well.
“They don’t necessarily socialize a lot, but when they get there, they’re happy to see each other. There’s a really good sense of camaraderie and great support,” she says, pointing out she has discovered men do it very differently than women, often simply shaking hands, offering a gentle tap on a shoulder and a quiet word or two. “I have noticed in four different instances, when tragedy strikes, it has not been more than two weeks that they return and nobody fawns.”
Landers says she is not part of that camaraderie and support. It is something that happens between the men and is fascinating to watch, she adds.
And there’s lots of cheekiness too, Landers laughs.
“We have some young guys looking to join and we’re always looking for that,” she says, noting there are no auditions and anyone can join the chorus.
“That can be a risk if you’re fussing about having a more polished choir, but they seem to fit in and it seems to work,” she says with a wide smile. “I want it to be a very inclusive group; it’s a community choir and there’s more and more evidence people who sing in choirs are happier and live longer.”
The men will be giving full voice when the Shuswap Men’s Chorus presents Men Aloud With Friends on Wednesday, May 6 at First United Church.
The friends include guests Mount Ida Harmony, a larger barbershop group organized by Ron Long, and a quartette known as Foursome Time.
Men’s Chorus members Fred Green and Terry Greenough will perform solos and talented Jim Johnston will provide accompaniment.
“A lot of the music has a water theme – Deep River, The Water is Wide, Wood River, Bring Me Little Water Sylvie,” says Landers, adding that the men will also sing the Battle Hymn of the Republic. “It’s American and combative but it sounds wonderful with men’s voices – very stirring.”
Water is the theme of this year’s Chorfest, the annual choral weekend sponsored by the British Columbia Choral Federation, which is being held in Vernon.
Shuswap Men’s Chorus will perform in a core choir in the event that has been dubbed Chorfestivity. Not only will there be more than 230 adults in the Chorfest Choir, but the Children’s Chorfest, which is run concurrently, has a registration of 120 singers – some of them from Salmon Arm.
These groups will be on stage for the massed numbers ending a public concert to be held at the Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 17. Admission will be by donation, (suggested $10) and doors open at 1 p.m.
