Raising voices to raise money

Have you ever dreamed about singing in a gospel choir? If movies like Sister Act get you up and dancing, guess what - now’s your chance to give spirited choral singing a try, and help Argyle Music students at the same time.

Voices together

Argyle Secondary School choir teacher Will Clements has teamed up with St. Clement’s Anglican Church, BC Choral Federation vice-president Kevin Zakresky, and Universal Gospel Choir director Lonnie Delisle to plan a day of choral collaboration for singers and listeners alike.On Saturday, March 8, at 11:30, singers of all ages and abilities will work with Universal Gospel Choir director Lonnie Delisle, putting heart and soul into learning some tunes together. An afternoon concert will follow at 3:30 p.m., featuring not just the workshop singers, but performances from excellent Lower Mainland choirs including Maddalena’s Descant, Pacific Spirit Choir, the Argyle Chamber Choir, and the Universal Gospel Choir.

Supporting students

Clement, who leads Argyle’s vocal jazz and concert choirs as well as its chamber choir, describes the event as "the perfect everything coming all together." He is "really excited" to be working collaboratively with St. Clement’s and local choir directors to host an event that will bring the choral community together.As an added bonus, the workshop and concert will take place in Argyle’s atrium, a light-filled space with marvellous acoustics that Clement likens to a cathedral. If you haven’t yet had the opportunity to visit the near-new school, here is your chance to do so.Argyle Music has deep roots in the Lynn Valley community, with both band and choir programs proving a high-school highlight for many students throughout the decades. Will was happy to report that popular former choir teachers Janet Warren and Francis Roberts are still involved in the Argyle Music "family," and he had hosted them both for tea just the week before his conversation with LynnValleyLife. Warren is a faculty advisor for new music teachers and drops by in that capacity, while Roberts often works as a teacher-on-call if Clement is absent.Clement promises the workshop will be "very fun and engaging," and anyone who comes to the concert is definitely in for a treat. All money raised will support the Argyle Music travel bursary fund, so that cost doesn’t stand in the way of students being able to attend music trips and retreats.  Details for the events, and links to purchase tickets for the workshop or concert, can be found at www.stclementschurch.ca or www.argylemusic.ca.

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