UPCOMING TOURS
March 2012: Mini-tour to Comox and Campbell River; performances and workshops with the Comox Valley Children’s Choir and the Campbell River Children’s Choir.
July 2013: Tour to Quebec and Ontario, with stops in Montreal, Kingston and Toronto.
Travel with the choir provides a unique focus for developing musical and social skills in a safe and enjoyable context while exploring new places. It often provides an opportunity to hear other choirs, participate in workshops under other talented conductors and to perform in new venues. It’s a wonderful and fun way to learn.
Initial involvement is often while still at home, when Viva hosts a choir or choirs from other places. In addition to sharing musical experiences, recreation and food as part of group events, Viva members are sometimes invited to host the visitors overnight, providing a more personal exchange.
Above the introductory Foundation Choir level, each other Viva group participates in a day of touring local schools to perform, do workshops, and interact with each other and with the host school members. Consult the annual schedule for possible dates, and ask YOUR school to consider hosting a visiting Viva choir!
The Senior Choir, with included Young Men’s and Chorale groups, sometimes does a weekend trip to another area each season. In 2007-08, the destination was Thetis Island, where members rehearsed with children from the island’s one-room school and performed for the community. Some meals and recreation were Viva-based, and local families hosted pairs of our singers for two nights, allowing time to experience island life. In 2008-09, the Concert Choir made a similar weekend visit to Gabriola Island, performing for and workshopping with school students, and putting on an evening concert for the general public. A younger group also enjoyed a weekend Children’s ChorFest at Whistler Village.
Every few years, a separate Touring Choir may be formed in order to take advantage of opportunities that are farther afield and/or for longer durations. One example is the July 2007 Pacific Rim International Children’s Chorus Festival in Hawai’i. Previous trips have been made to England in 1994, to France, Germany, Austria and Hungary in 1997, and to Wales and England in 2003. Viva has also attended the International Choral Kathaumixw in Powell River BC on 3 occasions, and Viva represented Canada at the first Golden Gate International Children’s Chorus Festival in 1991 in the San Francisco Bay area.
