A thumbnail sketch of 30 years of the Salt Spring Singers
It was back in Jan. '74 when 28 people, 21 women and 7 men decided to form a choir
called the Salt Spring Singers, under the direction of Ruth Barker. This was not a shy group
and by the spring of that year they were entertaining groups all over the island.
Under the leadership of Joy Johnsen, who took over the choir in '78, they entertained at a great variety of functions and by '81 they ventured off the Island to sing with the Pender Island Choral Society, performing Handel's Hallelujah Chorus. Regular spring and Christmas concerts were taking place in '84 and men again added their voices to the 45-member choir.
Again the baton was passed on, this time to Lloyd English in '93, who expanded the repertoire, and guitars, drums, children, etc. appeared on the stage and by '97, lo and behold, a chamber orchestra accompanied the choir at their Christmas concert.
Wendy Milton stepped up to the podium when the English family left the island in the fall of '98 and, in the Activity Room of the high school, she led both the then Bandemonium and the Salt Spring Singers in a combined Christmas concert.
The choir celebrated 25 years of singing in '99 and, under the directorship of Bruce Smith, performed Handel's Messiah at ArtSpring, our newly opened cultural centre.
Here we are in '03, 30 years later, Bruce has vacated the podium to Mitch Howard who will lead the 75-voice choir in yet another series of Christmas concerts at ArtSpring.
It was back in Jan. '74 when 28 people, 21 women and 7 men decided to form a choir
called the Salt Spring Singers, under the direction of Ruth Barker. This was not a shy group
and by the spring of that year they were entertaining groups all over the island.
Under the leadership of Joy Johnsen, who took over the choir in '78, they entertained at a great variety of functions and by '81 they ventured off the Island to sing with the Pender Island Choral Society, performing Handel's Hallelujah Chorus. Regular spring and Christmas concerts were taking place in '84 and men again added their voices to the 45-member choir.
Again the baton was passed on, this time to Lloyd English in '93, who expanded the repertoire, and guitars, drums, children, etc. appeared on the stage and by '97, lo and behold, a chamber orchestra accompanied the choir at their Christmas concert.
Wendy Milton stepped up to the podium when the English family left the island in the fall of '98 and, in the Activity Room of the high school, she led both the then Bandemonium and the Salt Spring Singers in a combined Christmas concert.
The choir celebrated 25 years of singing in '99 and, under the directorship of Bruce Smith, performed Handel's Messiah at ArtSpring, our newly opened cultural centre.
Here we are in '03, 30 years later, Bruce has vacated the podium to Mitch Howard who will lead the 75-voice choir in yet another series of Christmas concerts at ArtSpring.
2003