Mark your calendars for our BCCF Chorfest 2025 events – one for upper voices, and one for lower voices, both taking place on beautiful Vancouver Island!
Nanaimo BCCF Chorfest Event for Treble (Soprano and Alto) Voices – May 23 and 24, 2025
Nanaimo Sings! is collaborating with the BC Choral Federation to present this exciting opportunity for treble (soprano, alto) singers.
We are thrilled to tell you that Kellie Walsh will be joining us as our clinician.
Kellie Walsh is the founder and Artistic Director of the internationally award-winning Lady Cove, the Artistic Director of the internationally celebrated, Shallaway Youth Choir, co-founder and Artistic Director Emeritus of Newman Sound Men’s Choir, and, most recently, co-founder of the Inuit Youth Choir Ullûgiagatsuk from Nunatsiavut, Labrador. Kellie is also the Past President of Canada’s national choral organization, Choral Canada.
An active guest conductor, speaker, collaborator and innovator, Kellie’s work has brought her across Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, the United States, South America, Europe and Asia. As acclaimed as the choirs she conducts, Kellie’s true passion is more profoundly understood by the use of choral music as a medium to unite people and cultures, transcending geography and societal, political and economic circumstances.
From deep and proud roots in Newfoundland and Labrador, she has become known in Canada and internationally for embracing the medium of choral singing as an opportunity to explore leadership potential, sociocultural identity building, reciprocal respectful cultural collaborations, and the transformative impact of choral singing and sharing.
Activities: Registered singers will form the Chorfest choir and work with Kellie to rehearse on Friday (May 23) and Saturday (May 24). On Saturday evening, the Chorfest choir will present their concert. The theme for this exciting event is “Sing the World Better” . An amazing repertoire and concert plan is just now being finalized. .
Venues: Rehearsals will take place at St. Andrew’s United Church, 311 Fitzwilliam St. in Nanaimo. The final concert will take place at the Coast Bastion Hotel, 11 Bastion St. in Nanaimo.
Registration: Registration will open early in January, 2025. Stay tuned for more information coming soon! Please save the dates — you won’t want to miss this singing experience!
For More Information: Contact the Nanaimo Sings! Chorfest Planning Team c/o ldier@shaw.ca.
Courtenay BCCF Chorfest Event for Tenor and Bass Voices – May 30 and 31, 2025
Clinician : Dr Mark Ramsay
Dr. Ramsay is Assistant Professor in Music Education and Coordinator of Choral Activities at Western University where he also conducts the Western University Singers. Additionally, he is Artistic Director of Toronto’s award-winning Exultate Chamber Singers and recently co-chaired PODIUM 2022, Canada’s national choral conference and festival. His doctoral thesis at the U of T focused on Canadian choral repertoire written specifically for tenor/bass voices. He was also the conductor of the U of T Tenor/Bass Choir for7 years.
Venue: Native Sons Hall in Courtenay
Registration: Registration will open early in the new year on the BCCF Website.
For More Information: Contact Sheila Doncaster BCCF North Island Board Representative sheilald@shaw.ca