From humble, grass-roots beginnings to an executive-run group committed to excellence and giving back to the community, the Pender Harbour Choir has a long history of resilience, vision, and making music.
The early 70s brought a wave of free-thinking people to the Sunshine Coast. They came with skills, energy, and idealism. One of these was the charismatic and exceptionally able Les Fowler. In Pender Harbour, he put down roots, raised a family, and stirred things up a little. He eventually became a successful commercial fisherman. He also spearheaded organized music in the community. It was Fowler who brought the first choir members together under his direction, at a private home in 1973. He continued to be involved with the Pender Harbour Choir, the Music Society, the Harbour Lights Band, and the Jazz Festival over the decades until he passed in 2013.
After Fowler stepped down as director, the choir carried on under different volunteer directors and accompanists. Les was always nearby and supportive, stepping in again from time to time. It takes an incredible amount of energy and ability to stand up and direct a group of people through the process of learning a challenging choral piece in four voice parts. The choir wishes to acknowledge and thank its early volunteer directors, who took over for varying lengths of time, and often more than once, so that the singing never stopped.
In 1993, the choir’s twentieth year, Capilano College (now Capilano University) sponsored choral singing in Pender Harbour for two years as a non-credit course. In 1994, the choir put out a special call for men! Pender Harbour values music, and the choir’s fundraising and community outreach efforts have always been successful. The choir initiated bake sales which continue to this day. Pat Larson became the first paid director, with Gwen Hawkins assisting, in 1996.
By 1999 the choir was operating under the umbrella of the Pender Harbour Music Society, with an executive board, paid director and accompanist, and men and women singers. In the ensuing years, special and memorable musical events were organized, such as visits by the Vancouver Welsh Men’s Chorus, Gospel Week, Messiah performances, and workshops with visiting clinicians.
For eight years, starting in 2008, Joy McLeod directed the choir, with Paula Seward as accompanist. This marked an era of stability and growth for the choir, which often featured 30 or more singers in all voice parts. Joy’s wonderful anecdotes punctuated concerts, and the choir developed a loyal following. Having moved to Nova Scotia, McLeod still keeps in touch with her many friends here and says that directing the choir all those years was a particularly memorable era. In her words:
“It didn’t seem like so many years. Now it seems like too few years! I have memories that come back to me all the time – the people, funny things that happened, memorable musical moments . . . The first thing that comes to mind when the choir is mentioned is the people that I got to know and the friendships that meant and mean so much to me.”
The Pender Harbour Community is proud of its choir. In a large area of far-flung micro-communities, separated by waterways, rock, and dark winding roads, there are few better ways to dispel isolation than gathering one evening each week in a comfortable building dedicated to music, to sing in a welcoming and well-directed choir.
Kenneth Johnson took over the direction of the choir in 2016 and is at the helm still. His many years of experience in the music industry as an educator, director, composer, and performer bring wisdom, confidence, and delight to the choir. Johnson says that the connections fostered by choral singing cannot be overstated:
“For singers, it feels both safe and exciting to be working with others and contributing towards a beautiful, shared goal. It’s the ultimate teamwork, and less experienced singers learn from our stronger singers. We have an amazing accompanist in David Poon, who elevates our performances. In my music selections, I work very hard to challenge the choir a little and provide a memorable concert experience for our audiences. It’s a wonderful evening. And the community is always supportive because it is their choir.”
