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VIDEO: A cappella chorus with members from Maple Ridge wins big at international competition

Westcoast Harmony Chorus looking for new members

A local choir featuring members from Maple Ridge and across the Lower Mainland has placed sixth in a competition with choirs from all over the world.

Westcoast Harmony Chorus, a cappella chorus with over 60 members of varying ages, travelled to Phoenix, Arizona to participate in the Sweet Adelines 74th Annual Convention and Competition.

“I am very proud to say, for the first time in our chapter’s 57 year history, Westcoast Harmony made the top 10, which put us on the finals stage,” said the group’s marketing coordinator Kelly Collins.

“We are proud to be the sixth place chorus in the world of Sweet Adelines! Truly an incredible accomplishment given the past 2.5 years of not being able to rehearse in person, virtual Zoom sessions, to welcoming several new members who started with us during our time online,” said Collins.

Collins noted that they even had 12 members who had never competed on the international stage before, along with three members who sang with them at their first ever international competition in 1987.

The win, said Collins, came after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of two international conventions and competition.

Previously the group was named the best mid-sized chorus in the world in 2013, and they were also named the best mid-sized chorus in the world at the SAI competition in Denver, Colorado. In 2019, they won first place at the Canadian Maple Leaf Region 26 Chorus Competition.

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There are between seven to 10 members of the choir who are from Maple Ridge, including Collins, and are looking for more members.

They are already planning for their next competition in Saskatoon in the coming spring.

The group will be returning to their regular weekly rehearsals on Wednesday, Oct. 19, and they are looking forward to participating in several Christmas holiday performances including the Westcoast Christmas Show at Tradex in Abbotsford on Nov. 20, and the Surrey Tree Lighting Festival on Nov. 26.

Rehearsals take place in Surrey, however Collins added, they carpool.

Anyone interested in joining can email info@westcoastsings.com or go to westcoastsings.com.


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Colleen Flanagan

About the Author: Colleen Flanagan

I got my start with Black Press Media in 2003 as a photojournalist.
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