After three successful seasons of growth, and with the recent addition of men, the Okanagan Celtic Choir, under the direction of Andrew Mercer, kicks off its season Sept. 17 with an open house.
“New members or potential new members are invited to come by for a meet and greet and to see what the choir is all about,” said Mercer.
The open house takes place at the choirs’ regular meeting place, the Church of Christ, 4107 Pleasant Valley Rd., at 7 p.m.
“Although musical ability is an asset, there is no expectation to be able to read music or have any choral experience,” said Mercer. “It is really more about sharing the gift of singing with one another and having fun doing it.”
Mercer is just rounding out a very busy summer touring the country with his band Cod Gone Wild.
“I’m looking forward to getting back to a bit more of a routine and working with the choir once again this year for what promises to be a fun and exciting season,” he said.
This year, the choir is performing at several engagements throughout its seven-month season.
Its first performance is Nov. 28 at the Downtown Vernon Christmas light-up. The choir is also performing with Cod Gone Wild at a few of the band’s St. Patrick’s Day performances in the Okanagan, in particular at the Vernon Performing Arts Centre.
“The choir will be opening the shows once again and will be joining the band on stage to sing a couple of songs,” said Mercer.
For the first time this year, the choir is also putting on its own concert in the spring that will cover material from throughout the year.
The Okanagan Celtic Choir meets Wednesday evenings from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at The Church of Christ. All interested singers over the age of 16 can e-mail andrew@codgonewild.com or call 250-307-1954 for more information and to reserve a spot.
