Maple Ridge Chorus gearing up for spring concert

A Maple Ridge community choir is gearing up for their first public indoor concert since December of 2019.

The Maple Ridge Choral Society, is looking forward to their spring concert, called Canadiana, where they will be performing 14 songs.

They will be starting the concert with the national anthem, followed by: She’s Like the Swallow, The Parting Glass, Fare Thee Well Love, All Too Soon, After The War, Hymn To Freedom, Northwest Passage, Sarah, Hallelujah, Woodsmoke and Oranges, Angel, Royal Hudson, and This Is My Home.

Otherwise known publicly as the Maple Ridge Chorus, the group has been an integral part of the Maple Ridge community for more than 50 years. They sing a mixture of classical music, folk music, sacred music, with popular tunes thrown in from time to time.

The chorus sings in a four-part harmony and also incorporates a variety of languages into their performances.

There were about 40 members in the group before the outbreak of COVID-19. And although membership declined during the pandemic, several new members joined in September and February.

“Accommodating a small number of new members in each of our two post-pandemic seasons has been manageable insofar as it has not compromised anyone’s safety,” said Kirk Brown, tenor section leader with the Maple Ridge Choral Society

Last year the choir held their first Christmas concert in two years on Dec. 7. However, it was not open to the general public because of safety concerns.

READ MORE: Maple Ridge Choral Society still going strong

“Our audience was limited to family and friends and was thus quite small. The concert was held in our smaller practice venue rather than the considerably larger venue that we usually book for our annual Christmas and spring concerts,” explained Brown. And, in lieu of selling tickets, they accepted donations instead which went to the Canadian Red Cross for flood relief.

There were also Provincial Health Order restrictions they had to abide by including allowing only double vaccinated audience members and choristers into the building where everyone had to be masked and socially distanced.

The concert was shorter, as well, with fewer songs performed and no intermission, to prevent mingling.

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In December the group also performed at the bandstand in Memorial Peace Park, for GLOW Maple Ridge.

This spring performance will be open to the general public, and is going to be held in a large concert venue that the choir has historically booked for annual concerts.

“By bringing the joy of four-part harmony to the public once again, we feel that we can help the community heal from a long and divisive pandemic and celebrate the gradual return to normality,” Brown added.

The Maple Ridge Choral Society’s Spring Concert is taking place at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 29, at Christian Reformed Church, 20245 Dewdney Trunk Road.

Tickets are $20 each, with children 12 and under free.

For more information go to lovetosing.net.