A 27-member choir of young people is set to represent the province of B.C. at a special Canada Day celebration in Ottawa this year.If all fundraising efforts go well, Choralations Choir of School District No. 46, conducted by Janice Brunson, will fly to Ottawa at the end of June to appear in Unisong, a public July 1 celebration at the Parliament Buildings. They will also appear at the National Arts Centre in a massed choir concert and will give several smaller solo concerts.Only one choir per province is selected."It's a real honour for us," says Brunson.The group is busy rehearsing their all-Canadian program and selling copies of their CD, One Take Offering."It may have been recorded all in one take," says Brunson, "but we're quite pleased with it anyway."The CD is available for $10 and, along with the sale of maple syrup through the IGA supermarket in Gibsons, fundraising for travel expenses is underway.At least one of the parents of the singing children, Terry Daniels, is sure that the honouris due to the growing reputation of Brunson as a choral director. In addition to leading Choralations, Brunson works all over the school district teaching bands, choirs and an adult a cappella ensemble. In recent years she has received recognition at the Coast's Festival of the Performing Arts.Daniels' daughter Tiegan, now in Grade 8, has spent the last four years studying under Brunson."It's a passion with her," says her mother. "For kids who enjoy music, it's a wonderful opportunity."The Daniels, like other parents, travelled with Brunson and the choir to the Choral Olympics in Germany two years ago where the group earned excellent standings in their category.While in Ottawa, the kids will also have an opportunity for a workshop with composer Stephen Hatfield, a Canadian musician and conductor who specializes in choral music. Since the choir has often performed his compositions, they are thrilled at now having the opportunity to meet him.Of the 27 members, 24 will be going to Ottawa. This year, all of the choir are girls - not for any particular reason, says Brunson, it's just that the boys have grown up and moved on. Most of the members are in high school now, and represent many different schools from Langdale to Pender Harbour, with the choir practice counting as a credit course. Kids learn voice training and sight reading at their once a week rehearsals, then sing choir selections learned in many different languages: Latin, Inuit, Bulgarian and Hungarian, for example. They will even learn some jazz and other more mature pieces.This week, March 25, they will be singing at a fundraising concert in Gibsons for the Mercy and Caring Children's Home of Kenya organized by the Christian Life Assembly. They don't expect to raise funds for themselves at this appearance, but rather for the work of the African children's home."It's important for the kids to learn about community service," Brunson says, "about how to give, even if you're not getting back."The Choralations will be appearing at the Kiwanis Festival in Vancouver in April as well as the Sunshine Coast Community Orchestra's big Mozart event to take place in May.
