Words Jo Barnes Photo Island Song Choir
The ladies of Saanich Peninsula’s Island Song Choir thoroughly enjoy making friends and making connections. They especially like using not only their voices, but their collective talents to make their own unique music arrangements. The Island Song Choir locally performs a variety of pop and contemporary music, all of which is arranged by the members themselves. “Our choir members (and myself) arrange everything ourselves,” shares Amy Van Wensem, music director. “The members all offer suggestions of upcoming favourite songs, based on a theme. We have a talented and extremely dedicated group of women who go to work crafting each song to fit our choir’s four parts and special preferences exactly. It’s a custom built, artisanal choir, just for the women on this Peninsula.”
Formerly the Peninsula Ladies Choir, founded by Ashley Bontje, in 2019, this diverse group of music enthusiasts is now under the direction of Amy Van Wensem. “Ashley was moving to Vancouver, so she was looking for someone to take over this very unique choir,” says Amy. “She offered me the position.”
The 60-voice choir performs their creative repertoire in the “Love ‘Em and Leave ‘Em” concert at Sidney’s Charlie White Theatre on January 18. There will be a mix of music presented including songs such as Trouble (Taylor Swift), 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover (Paul Simon), and Heart of Glass (Blondie). “The theme of the concert is all about the magic of falling in love and the lament of heartbreak when it ends,” says member Sara Benson.
As always, songs have been chosen by collective consensus and then arranged by members which gives each piece a unique presentation. Jennifer Magnusson, leadership team and choir member, talks about the creative process of arranging. “I have been a member of Island Song since the first season back in 2019. At that time, Ashley Bontje ran some workshops to teach interested members how to arrange music for our choir, and I have been arranging two to three songs each season since then. It’s kind of fun since each of our arrangers has her own sort of musical personality, so our arranging styles are all different.”
After songs are chosen and arrangements completed, choir members begin to learn and develop the pieces with the aid of practice tracks. “We believe deeply in inclusivity, so these same arrangers produce audio recordings of each part so that singers, regardless of ability to read music, can participate,” notes Amy.
Choir members not only differ in age, but they also bring different skills and abilities to the ensemble. “There are varied musical backgrounds. Some just love to sing in the shower; others are classically trained,” relates Sara. “We also have small groups of people in the choir who work on songs separately. They then audition the pieces for the director, and she chooses numbers for the concerts.”
The choir is primarily accompanied by Jeff Poynter, a professional musician who can play a variety of instruments including piano and saxophone. Each concert differs in theme and content, and sometimes other musicians contribute musical enhancements such as banjo or drums.
Recently, some of the members have joined to create an additional performing group who are keen to showcase Island Song Choir music pieces at community events. “We have an offshoot group called Island Echo,” says Sara. “This is a performance group who will perform the songs they know well at charity or community events.”
Regardless of ability or background, the choir members all share a love of music, and this is something they are eager to share with others. “We want to bring joy to our audience, have a really good time and make friends and family proud. We are sharing our love of music and performing,” says Sara.
As well as the rewards of music, there are social and personal benefits. “This is a choir who share not only their music but also their lives with each other,” relates Amy. “I often see choristers enter rehearsal weighed down by the world, only to leave that same night with a smile on their face.”
Jennifer adds: “This choir is such a warm, welcoming, and inspiring group of women from the peninsula, and I have made some very close friends among the members over the years”
Oftentimes, as Sara relates, this sense of community continues outside of the rehearsal room. “We do a group camping trip once a year. Some of our members play instruments such as banjo, double bass or fiddle. It’s really great when we are all sitting around the campfire and making music on the fly. It’s a community of like-minded individuals. Songs brings people together.”
Island Song Choir is an opportunity to sing and enjoy the power of music. It is a creative, musical harmony in the key of community.
For more information, visit www.islandsongchoir.ca.
