We are thrilled to welcome you to BCCF Chorfest 2024, our flagship event, coming this year to historic Fort Langley and Langley Township, May 24-26 — hosted by Langley Community Chorus! Our Adult BCCF Chorfest Choir will be led by Dr. Julia Davids – artistic director of the Juno-nominated Canadian Chamber Choir and Director of Choral Activities at North Park University in Chicago.
Venues include Fort Langley Community Hall (Friday and Saturday rehearsals, reception, and banquet), George Preston Recreation Centre (Sunday morning rehearsal) and South Langley (Mennonite) Church (Sunday dress rehearsal and concert).
A message from Julia:
The BCCF Chorfest theme for 2024 is Be the River. As Canadians we are very influenced by our natural surroundings, especially our many bodies of water. Rivers and lakes are especially evocative – from a gentle, still, meandering stream to a fast-moving, vast, wide body of water such as the mighty Fraser River, rivers and lakes have inspired countless composers. At the heart of the Chorfest program are two extended works: Canadian composer Stephanie Martin’s “Be The River” and American composer Gwyneth Walker’s “The Water is Wide” from “River Songs”. Canadian composers Laura Hawley’s “The River” and Laura Sgroi’s “The Lake” are complementary works that highlight the various ways water moves, setting moving poems with supple melodies and changing tempi. Finally, we’ll combine the adult and youth choirs for Carol-Ann Weaver’s joyful “Dancing, Dancing River”. I’m excited to get to work on these great pieces by all-female composers with the many singers who are coming together to Be the River! – Julia Davids
Your BCCF Chorfest 2024 Registration includes:
• All Rehearsals with Clinician Julia Davids
• Opening Reception
• One Banquet Ticket (non-refundable)
• Access to rehearsal tracks for downloading/streaming
• Concert performance
All Chorfest participants are required to purchase or renew an existing BCCF Individual Membership.
Registrants should make their own arrangements for accommodations. A list of suggestions can be found further down on this page.
BCCF GST# R113813083
ADULT CHOIR FEES
Early Bird Registration (by April 30): $183.75 ($175 + $8.75 GST)
Regular Registration (from May 1): $204.75 ($195 + $9.75 GST)
Host Choir/BCCF Board of Directors: $144.38 ($137.50 + $6.88 GST)
BCCF Individual Membership: $40 (Purchase or renewal is required for all Chorfest participants.)
Optional Add-ons
Saturday Box Lunch – $19.00 ($16.96 + $2.04 GST) for May 25, 12:30 pm
On weekends Fort Langley is a popular tourist spot and the restaurants are very busy during the lunch hour. For this reason, we strongly suggest that you consider purchasing the box lunch. There are plenty of inside and outside spaces to sit and enjoy lunch with plenty of time for a walk around the village.
Additional Saturday Catered Banquet Ticket – $58.24 ($52.00 + $6.24 GST) for May 25, 7-10 pm
Additional Sunday Concert Ticket – $20 ($19.05 + $0.95 GST) for May 26, 3:30 pm
Note: A $50 administration fee will be applied to all refund requests received by April 30, 2024. No refunds will be permitted after that date. However, registrations are transferable. Tax receipts for the registration portion are available upon request.
Please CLICK HERE to register conveniently and securely online. We process payment via JotForm using PayPal or Credit Card.
For assistance, please contact Lise Coppin, Chorfest 2024 Registrar, at 604-880-5424 or chorfest@bcchoralfed.com.
ADULT CHOIR REPERTOIRE
La Rideau – Laura Hawley > Demo Recording
Be The River – Stephanie Martin > Demo Recording
The Lake – Laura Sgroi (Renforth Music) > Demo Recording
Water is Wide – Gwyneth Walker (ECS Publishing) > Demo Recording
Dancing Dancing River – Carol Ann Weaver (Kelman) > Demo Recording
For rehearsal tracks part-by-part to aid you in learning your music, please click here. Note: the rehearsal tracks page is password-protected; contact the registrar if you have registered and do not receive the password message upon completion of your online registration.
ADULT CHOIR SCHEDULE
Friday, May 24 (rehearsal & reception)
Fort Langley Community Hall (9167 Glover Rd, Fort Langley, BC V1M 2R9)
5:30 PM onward – on-site registration, check in
7:00 PM–9:00 PM: Rehearsal
9:00 PM–9:30 PM: Reception
Saturday, May 25 (rehearsals, AGM, evening banquet)
Fort Langley Community Hall (9167 Glover Rd, Fort Langley, BC V1M 2R9)
8:00 AM onward: On-site registration, check in
9:00 AM–10:30 AM: Rehearsal
10:30 AM: Coffee Break
11:00 AM–12:30 PM: Rehearsal
12:30 PM: Lunch, BCCF AGM
2:00 PM–3:15 PM: Rehearsal
3:15 PM: Stretch Break
3:30 PM–5:00 PM: Rehearsal
6:30 PM: Cocktails
7:00 PM: Banquet
Sunday, May 26 – (rehearsal and concert; various venues)
REHEARSAL
George Preston Recreation Centre (20699 42 Ave, Langley Twp, BC V3A 3B1)
9:30 AM–11:45 AM: Rehearsal (with coffee break)
11:45 AM–1:00 PM: Singers’ lunch break (on your own); move to concert venue
CONCERT/DRESS
South Langley Church (20098 22 Ave, Langley Twp, BC V2Z 1X4)
1:00 PM–3:00 PM: Dress rehearsal including BC Youth Choir
3:30 PM: Chorfest concert presentation
ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS
Registrants should make their own arrangements for accommodations. The BCCF suggests one of two Sandman Hotel properties:
Sandman Hotel Langley
8855 202 Street, Langley
Sandman Signature Hotel Langley
8828 201 Street, Langley
ADULT CHOIR CLINICIAN: DR. JULIA DAVIDS
Dr. Julia Davids is passionate about the difference music makes for individuals and communities. She comes from London, Ontario, Canada, where she grew up singing with her church choir, the Amabile Youth Singers, the Ontario Youth Choir, and the National Youth Choir. Julia is a founding member of the Canadian Chamber Choir, Canada’s national professional choir dedicated to building communities through choral singing. Artistic Director of the CCC since 2004, she returns to Canada multiple times a year to conduct and sing with the ensemble.
Julia is the Stephen J. Hendrickson Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at North Park University where she directs the University Choir and Chamber Singers and teaches vocal pedagogy and conducting. Julia coauthored with Stephen LaTour the award-winning book, Vocal Technique – A Guide to Classical and Contemporary Styles for Conductors, Teachers, and Singers, published by Waveland Press, now in a second edition. She is a frequent workshop and master class leader and has presented at numerous conferences for organizations including Choral Canada, the American Choral Director’s Association, and the National Association of Teachers of Singing. She enjoys singing professionally with Bella Voce and other choirs in the Chicago area. Julia has earned degrees from Western University, the University of Michigan, and a D.M. from Northwestern University. She lives in Chicago with her husband and their two children.