The Vancouver Bach Choir is a large and long-running symphonic choir in Vancouver. Eighty singers-strong in the adult choir alone, the choir held its first concert in the Orpheum Theatre in December 1930 and has now been running for eighty-five years. Currently, they present four concerts a year at the Orpheum Theatre, and run an adult choir as well as a range of youth choirs catering to children from grade one through to the post-secondary years. To mark the holiday season, the Vancouver Bach Choir will be presenting Christmas with the Bach Choir on December 6th at 2:00pm, and Handel’s Messiah on December 12th at 8:00pm. I recently had the chance to sit down with the kind and hospitable first alto in the choir, Winnie Nowell-Miles, to chat about her role in the choir, these upcoming concerts, and the relevance of traditional works in today’s world.
Coming from a highly musical family in England, Winnie got an early start in her appreciation for music and joined her first choir as a young schoolgirl. After immigrating to Canada at the age of twenty-one, she joined the cathedral choir in the sixties before moving to the Vancouver Bach Choir in 1980. Although she initially joined the Vancouver Bach Choir when a friend extended an invitation to audition, she soon found herself at home in its large, committed, and warm atmosphere. She has now been performing with the choir for thirty-five years and has loved the opportunities it has given her to work with a diversity of talented conductors. In fact, she states that she “can’t remember a bad rehearsal”, and that being a part of the choir has proved to be both “very inspiring” and “good mental exercise.” This year, she is looking forward to the opportunity to sing in both holiday concerts.
From fall to spring, the choir rehearses every Tuesday night at the Vancouver Academy of Music. Singers who attend a set number of rehearsals qualify to perform in the concerts, and then attend extra practice sessions in the lead-up to a show. Although learning the music for the concerts proves to be the greatest challenge for her, Winnie thoroughly enjoys the rehearsals and considers the team effort produced in them, and in the carpooling efforts created to attend them, to be one of the best parts of being involved in the choir. Working together in a productive and positive fashion is the key to creating a fantastic experience for both those involved in the choir and those attending the shows.
Annually, Christmas with the Bach Choir marks a special occasion, as it is the only time in the year when all of the choirs, from the adult choir to the youngest children’s choir, the Piccolos, sing together. For Winnie, being able to sing with everyone in one space creates a fantastic opportunity for connection with a family-like atmosphere. She, and the families involved, are able to see the kids develop and grow throughout their years in the choir, making the concert a memorable part of Christmas. This sense of warmth is also extended to the audience, as they are invited to sing along for special classics such as ‘Joy to the World’. Overall, Christmas with the Bach Choir is an uplifting and fun chance to be filled with true holiday spirit.
On the other hand, Handel’s Messiah is performed by the Vancouver Bach Choir every third year. Winnie describes it as an inspiring and beautiful work filled with powerful music. She explains that it offers a rare chance to engage in a long-held tradition, but that if audience members “listen for the universal messages in it,” it can reach beyond Christian denominations to embrace a multicultural audience with universal messages. She points to phrases in the music such as “If God is for us, who can be against us?” and “Why do the nations rage so furiously together?” to show that, in the troubled world in which we live, this show can prove to be a hopeful and healing experience for all. When looked at in this way, the Messiah can reach across generations, borders and barriers to provide an enjoyable night for everyone in attendance.
If you want a chance to hear a high-quality choir perform in all of their strength, to engage in choral and musical traditions, or to be provided with a thought-provoking experience in regards to classical music, then you may want to attend either of these two upcoming holiday productions, or simply keep up to date with the Vancouver Bach Choir’s activities. More information about the shows and the choir itself can be found on this website. Who knows, you may even end up joining the choir yourself!