Music allows Linda Dier to express herself and experience joy.
“Music makes me happy. It doesn’t matter how I feel when I start singing, as soon as I start to sing they all (stress and worries) disappear,” she said. “For me it had a huge impact on my life and I love music.”
She loves to come together and share her joy with other singers and is a founding member of Nanaimo Sings.
“Part of the beauty of singing in a choral setting is you become something bigger as part of the whole,” said Dier.
Dier, who is also co-chairwoman of Chorfest 2013, also experiences joy when she sees youth sing and she is excited that the Children’s Chorfest Choir perform during the BCCF Chorfest gala concert Sunday (May 19), 2:30 p.m. at the Port Theatre.
“It’s gratifying to see children and youth singing. It speaks to the future of choral music to have youth coming up singing and loving it,” said Dier. “I am excited to hear them. They are all coming from children’s choirs that are well trained. They are incredible – their voices are incredible.”
Nanaimo Sings is hosting Chorfest 2013. Dier said the choir is excited because it’s the first time Nanaimo has hosted the event.
“We have never had the pleasure to host Chorfest until now,” she said.
Chorfest is a three-day event where the choirs get together and share knowledge and the love of singing.
It culminates with the gala concert on Sunday.
The music chosen for the concert is by Canadian composers. Dier said it’s an eclectic mix of music that has a lot of local colour such as a song about the Williams Lake stampede and another about the Royal Hudson.
During the concert on Sunday the choral groups will sing individually and then come together for the finale.
“The impact is pretty phenomenal,” said Dier about the performance with all three choirs.
She said during that part of the event there will be three generations of singers onstage, about 240 singers.
There are three choirs attending the event this year.
The Children’s Chorfest Choir, directed by Marni Strome, includes singers from the Nanaimo Youth Choir, Richmond Honour Youth Choir, Viva Children’s Choir, Cowichan Valley Youth Choir and the Nanaimo B.C. Boys Choir.
The British Columbia Youth Choir, directed by Frances Roberts, consists of auditioned B.C. singers aged 17-24 and will be joined from some performances by Nanaimo’s Sinclair Singers.
The Chorfest Adult Choir, directed by Laurier Fagnan, consists of members from community choirs across the province.
Nanaimo Sings formed in 2007 and has members from age five to 80. It is made up of 16 choral groups from Nanaimo and the surrounding area.
For more information about Nanaimo Sings please go to www.nanaimosings.com.
Tickets for are $20/$10 for children under 12 and $5 for eyeGo and are available by calling 250-754-8550, at the Port Theatre box office, located at 125 Front St., and www.porttheatre.com.
arts@nanaimobulletin.com