Margaret Lyons was a choir member; she and Victor Togni married shortly after the first concert. Their son Peter-Anthony, born the following year, is an organist, composer, and radio host.
The Early Years (1958-80)
The Choir was co-founded in January 1958 by 23-year-old Victor Togni (1935-1965), who was organist at St Columbkille Cathedral (and previously Calvin United – he moved to Pembroke to play their new Casavant), and Harold G. “Tug” Wilson, director of the Pembroke Parks and Recreation Association, in time for Pembroke’s Centennial celebrations. The premiere performance, featuring over 50 choristers, was held at Pembroke Collegiate Institute on April 23, and was very well received by an audience of about 600. Elva Remus was the first accompanist. (The PCI building is now home to École publique Équinoxe.)
That summer, Dr James Gayfer (1916-1997), the director of the 1st Canadian Guards Band at Camp Petawawa, took over as director for the next 3 years. His first concert was part of the Centennial opening ceremonies on July 6 and had over 1000 listeners. The first PCC Committee met in March of 1959 in the Pembroke Observer Office with 5 members in attendance. For its first performance of a major work, the Choir assisted the Deep River Choral Society in Haydn’s Creation in May, then Handel’s Messiah the following April, and Mendelssohn’s Elijah in 1961. Iva Mai Smith was the rehearsal accompanist. In the fall of 1959, the Committee secured funding for the fledgling choir by arranging for it to be a night school activity at Pembroke Collegiate Institute, with Captain Gayfer as instructor. This arrangement continued, with various directors, through the 1970s. The Fall 1959 concert was also joint with the DRCS, performed in both communities. Deep River invited us to a social gathering after their concert, and we reciprocated after ours, thus beginning a tradition of Christmas socials to which the audience is now invited.
When Dr. Gayfer was posted to B.C. in 1961, the baton was passed to John L. Jarratt, choir director at Holy Trinity Church and Director of Music at Pembroke Collegiate; however, no concerts were performed during his year. S/Sgt. George Adams (1929-2020) followed as director in the fall of 1962, and the 32-voice Choir performed a fall variety concert, a CHOV television program entitled Favourite Carols and Gilbert & Sullivan’s Trial by Jury in May of 1963. He also proposed, for the first time, that the choir perform at seniors’ homes as a community service; the first occasion was at a Seniors’ Christmas party organized by the Kinette Club. Elva (Remus) Merredew returned from Ottawa to be the accompanist and Deputy Conductor.
Lt. Ronald Milne (1921-2014) took over in the Fall of 1963 and directed a couple of variety concerts as well as another Christmas TV special, but the committee dissolved after the Spring 1964 AGM. Few concerts were performed until Spring 1972, with Norman Baldwin conducting and Lynn Eamer on Piano. The choir continued to be a night school activity, and mainly featured women’s voices. Adrian Smit, the organist at Holy Trinity, became the regular accompanist.
Upon Dr. Gayfer’s return to Pembroke in 1975 to head the music department at Champlain High School, the choir became an organization in its own right once again. Dr. Gayfer conducted the choir through Pembroke’s Sesquicentennial (for which he wrote an original song) until June 1980 when he retired to Lindsay, Ontario. He was a prolific composer of choral and band music, and “his” choir premiered many of his compositions which remain in our library, including A Celebration of Wisdom, which is the Christmas story from the book of John. For Christmas 1979, The Choir participated in a Service of Carols and Lessons, accompanied by organists Adrian Smit and Loreen Scales.
The Eighties: Caryl Clark and Kevin Nieman
The choir’s first foray into musical theatre was the G&S classic H.M.S. Pinafore in the winter of 1981, accompanied by the Deep River Symphony Orchestra and directed by Sean Noll. A second operetta, The Mikado, followed the next year. Out of these performances was born the Pembroke Musical Society (now Streetlight Theatre).
Caryl Clark took over as director, with Robert Price accompanying the rehearsals. A cheque for $1000 was presented to the Bernadette McCann House during the Spring 1981 show. The Choir participated in an Ecumenical Service of Nine Lessons and Carols in December 1981. A talented teenager who had distinguished herself in the Kiwanis Festival, Darlene TerMarsch, became the regular accompanist in 1982. In March 1983, the Choir presented the highly praised Gloria by Vivaldi with the Valott Quartet, then performed it at the Eganville Spring Festival of Music in May. The Choir participated in the 120th anniversary service at Greenwood Church on October 16, singing Gibbons’ Almighty and Everlasting God a cappella.
Kevin Nieman
In the Spring of 1984, Choir President Pat Soucie recruited a young florist and church organist who was also a talented baritone soloist, Kevin Nieman, whose mentor in high school had been Dr. Gayfer. And thus started his 26-year tenure as choral director. Ontario’s Bicentennial Celebration was enriched by the PCC through its May concert at Festival Hall, with a mass choir of over 110 voices and Kazimier Samujlo on trumpet. It was also the Choir’s 25th anniversary, and Dr. Gayfer was the keynote speaker at the celebratory banquet. The honour of Life Membership was created for this occasion, and it was given to four members who had been in the choir since its inception: Henry Akre, Bob Price, Ruth Grant, and Joyce Moore.
Christmas 1984 was celebrated with 50 voices singing John W. Peterson’s cantata King of Kings. A very successful Choral Workshop was held in April 1985 with Denise Narcisse-Mair teaching 180 area choristers. The May 1985 concert featured Michael Moore on trumpet and soprano soloist Debra Dent Hopmans. By December, the Choir had grown to 75 voices. They presented Handel’s Messiah, accompanied by a 22-piece orchestra mostly from the DRSO, to a full house 2 nights running. In the Saturday performance, the Tenor soloist was unable to continue due to a cold. The director, Kevin Nieman, stepped in and saved the show! One performance was videotaped and shown on local Cable 12.
The Nepean Community Choir joined the PCC in May 1986 for a concert in each community, under choral directors Kevin Nieman and Bernice Oak. That fall, the Choir performed Bach’s Magnificat in Latin, and Cantate no. 142 in German, again with an orchestra of local players. The Sights and Sounds of our Canadian Provinces were enjoyed at the May 1987 concert, featuring Michael Britton on trombone. In the Fall, the Choir performed Haydn’s Creation at the newly built Pembroke Pentecostal Church.
Local music teacher Gerald LaRonde took over as interim director for the Spring 1988 concert, which featured Free-Bass Accordionist Laurie Rosewarne and accompanist Cheryl Schreader. For Christmas 1988, the Choir celebrated with Messiah, with Rosemarie Gilbert as the Choir’s new regular accompanist, and soloists and orchestra. Rehearsals were moved to Wesley Community Church. For Easter 1989, the choir performed Brahms’ Requiem, with the addition of Janice Hawthorne as second pianist. The 1989 Celebration of Christmas featured The Youth Singers directed by Gerald LaRonde.
The Nineties: Kevin Nieman
The Spring 1990 concert was a light-hearted Tribute to Gilbert & Sullivan. Elva Merredew, who performed in the Choir’s first concert in 1958, was interim director for the 1990 Celebration of Christmas, while Kevin Nieman explored Down Under. He returned to direct An Evening on Broadway. In preparation for the Christmas 1991 concert, Carols with Brass, the Choir toured 3 seniors’ homes. On Good Friday 1992, the Choir presented Bach’s St. John Passion. The Christmas program was “Great Choruses and Carols” with Jack D’Arthenay on organ and Cheryl Braaten as guest flautist.
Nigel Smith
Handel’s Messiah was performed for the fourth time at Christmas 1993; there was a shortened matinee as well as the full production featuring soloists Debra Dent, Dean Kustra, Mervin Fick, and Nigel Smith’s memorable bass.
While Kevin was studying for his A. Mus. at Western, Stella Callighen from Deep River directed the Choir in a concert of Springtime music and Canadian folk songs in April 1994. Kevin returned for Carols With Brass II, which included Dr. Gayfer’s Celebration of Wisdom.
Spring 1995 saw the Choir’s first performance of the Mozart Requiem, with guest soloists Stella Callighen, Muriel Smith, Bill Graham, and bass Alex Fleuriau-Chateau. Another big first was Handel’s Judas Maccabeus in the Spring of 1995, with Rachel Lewis, Michael Schrey, Bill Graham, and Nigel Smith as soloists.
In June 1996, the Choir was honoured by the Ontario Choral Federation for 25 years of continuous operation. The following year, we hosted InterChoir ’97 at Fellowes High School, with members of 18 choirs participating. The Choir expanded its Christmas repertoire with International Carols, featuring the Ottawa Valley Brass Quintet.
Josh Hopkins
On Good Friday 1998, the Choir presented the Fauré Requiem and Bach’s Jesu, Priceless Treasure at First Presbyterian Church, accompanied by a chamber orchestra and James Mayhew on organ. That Christmas, we performed Handel’s Messiah in 2 provinces: at St Alphonsus Church in Chapeau, and at Our Lady of Lourdes in Pembroke. Joshua Hopkins, a promising young local baritone, was featured.
The Choir explored African rhythms and sounds for the Spring 1999 concert which began with Norman Luboff’s African Mass. James Mayhew was on piano and Darlene TerMarsch Millar on timpani, and the choir wore colourful sashes. Darlene had just returned as the Choir’s rehearsal accompanist after the Gilberts had coincidentally left to do missions work on the “Dark Continent”. We hosted an InterChoir Workshop in October 1999 at Fellowes High School. The Grand Finale Concert’s combined choirs performed under the direction of Gerald Neufeld.
A chamber orchestra and Darlene TerMarsch accompanied us when we presented Haydn’s Creation in November 1999. The soloists were soprano Leslie Sara Michaels, tenor Bjorn Kuhn, and bass Olivier Laquerre. During this decade, the Choir participated many times in the Kiwanis Festival, and sang in Summer Sounds at the Marina.
A New Century
For a complete change of pace, we presented the music of Gilbert & Sullivan’s Mikado in the Spring of 2000, with choir soloists in costume. They even went to the Mall in costume as a promo! The Choir was invited to participate in the Millennium Canada Day festivities, and joined other choirs at the Pembroke Armouries in a processional parade to the new Waterfront Amphitheatre. We began the 2000-2001 season with Handel’s Messiah, accompanied by a chamber orchestra, which we performed twice in one weekend. The soloists were soprano Christine Murphy, mezzo soprano Zoe Tarshis (who later married Josh Hopkins), tenor Sarkis Barsemian and bass Olivier Laquerre.
As a new experience, choir members donned their Santa hats and reindeer antlers to sing Carols on Ice on Sunday, Dec 10, 2000 at the Petawawa Civic Centre. It wasn’t a complete success as we hadn’t tested the cold conditions, and the keyboard froze – as did Darlene’s hands! But the choir bravely carolled a cappella. Sadly, our choir president, Maurice Armstrong, passed away on Dec 28, and about 20 members of the choir sang Psalm 23 at his funeral at St. Alphonsus Church in Chapeau, Quebec.
While Kevin took a break in the spring of 2001, Gerald LaRonde directed us for Best of the West, accompanied by Jimmy Mayhew on piano, Wil Walker on harmonica and Sylvia VanderSluis on guitar. On July 1, 2001, choir members were thrilled to celebrate with Kevin as he married Catherine Duhamel. In December, Kevin directed “Christmas Exultation” which was accompanied by Rosemarie Gilbert (piano) and Doreen Korcok (organ). The concert also featured Kevin’s Christ Lutheran Handbell Choir. Some choir members also performed for Carols on Ice that month – this time with a tape!
Trevor Grahl
On April 21, 2002 we gave two performances of Mozart’s Requiem: in the afternoon at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Deep River, and in the evening at Wesley United Church in Pembroke. We were accompanied by a chamber orchestra and Rosemarie Gilbert at the organ. The soloists were all local talent: soprano Stella Callighen, alto Debra Bosworth, tenor Sean Keels and bass John Root. The fall of 2002 saw the choir commission a work by a young local composer, Trevor Grahl. We performed his Alleluia in our Christmas Alleluia concert at St. Columbkille’s Cathedral, accompanied by Rosemarie Gilbert and several guest musicians.
Our spring 2003 concert, Music of the Royals, was a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, with Jimmy Mayhew on the piano and Jill Renault on the organ. In December, the audience enjoyed video footage of choir members’ Christmas memories and photos while the Choir presented Our Christmas Gift to You. Darlene accompanied the concert which featured a few duets by Kevin and Patricia Charette. The audience was invited to join us in the church hall afterwards for refreshments – an old tradition revived!
We performed the Brahms Requiem, in English, in our 2004 Music for Good Friday concert at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Pembroke. We were joined by soloists Stella Callighen and Sean Keels and a full orchestra. Rosemarie Gilbert was our rehearsal accompanist. In December, we presented Vivaldi’s Gloria with choir member soloists, and other Glorias with the Christ Lutheran Church Handbell Choir, Darlene (TerMarsch) Millar on piano and Doreen Korcok on organ, along with violinists. For Broadway Melodies 2005, the Choir broke from the traditional concert dress; the ladies were decked out in colourful blouses. The audience participated in a special treat – a Sound of Music sing-along. We hosted our first Sing-Along Messiah for Christmas 2005, followed the next day by a full performance with orchestra and bass Phillip Schaus.
Our Spring 2006 African Safari performance again featured the African Mass, accompanied by Darlene (TerMarsch) Millar and Jimmy Mayhew. The fall of 2006 was especially busy for the Choir, as we participated in the Pembroke Kiwanis Club’s Last Night of the Proms benefit concert with the Maple Leaf Band to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s 80th birthday, as well as our own All-Request Christmas Favourites which featured songs submitted by the Choir members.
Michael Meraw
On Good Friday 2007, we returned to a major work, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, which the Choir had last performed in 1961! Baritone Michael Meraw sang the title part. The concert also featured orchestra, an octet choir and the alto quartet. In the fall of 2007, we also prepared for two performances. On Remembrance Day, which fell on a Sunday, we presented the Fauré Requiem, In Flanders Fields, and a violin solo by Kirsten Waymann. Soloists were soprano Rena Detlefsen and baritone Kevin Nieman. This was soon followed by A Classic Christmas Celebration.
In 2008, the choir reached its 50th Anniversary. We celebrated over the next two years, because while the choir was commissioned in January 1958, the Choir Committee first met in March 1959. The celebration began in Spring 2008 with Handel’s Judas Maccabaeus, which was performed with an orchestra and featured soloists Jeremy Carver-James and David Lafleur.
Our Concert Chair Extraordinaire, Bentley Horne, was honoured by the community with a 2008 Volunteer Service Award for his years of dedicated service to the Choir. The award was presented to Bentley by Renfrew County MPP John Yakabuski during a ceremony on June 4, 2008. Bentley’s wife Nancy, Director Kevin Nieman and President Janet Pearson were there to cheer him on.
We practiced in the fall of 2008 for our 50th Anniversary Concert which was planned for Dec 7, 2008. Unfortunately, the concert had to be cancelled at the last minute due to Kevin’s sudden illness. Choir members and ticket purchasers alike were very disappointed, but everyone was greatly relieved that Kevin recovered and was able to direct us for the Spring session: our eighth performance of Handel’s Messiah, with orchestra, on Good Friday, 2009.
On Saturday, May 23, 2009, 150 current and former Choir members gathered together at the Petawawa Legion Hall for the 50th Anniversary Banquet. The Committee, chaired by Bill and Paulette Bromilow, hosted a wonderful evening with an excellent dinner, celebratory cake, memorabilia, and of course singing! Another special event in which the Choir participated was the lighting of the Olympic Torch at the Pembroke Waterfront. The Torch came through Pembroke on Dec 13, 2009 as part of its cross-Canada tour before the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games. The Choir was ‘auditioned’ via our website concert samplings. Wearing our new red scarves and white fleece hats with the PCC logo, we sang There’s a Light/Cette Flamme at the Waterfront under the direction of Gerald LaRonde.
On Dec 6, 2009, we were finally able to present our 50th Anniversary Christmas Concert. It was accompanied by Darlene TerMarsch (piano), Jill Renault (organ), Gordon Tapp (trumpet) and Dale Hopkins (percussion) and featured soloists Stephanie Schizkoske and Dan Kletke and a small ensemble of choir members. It was Kevin Nieman’s last concert with us as our director after 26 years of energetic, enthusiastic leadership! At the conclusion of the concert, Kevin was honoured with a plaque commemorating over 25 years of introducing us to the joys of choral singing.
2010-11: Juanita Kennedy
Juanita Kennedy
Deep River high school music teacher, Juanita Kennedy, took over the reins as our director in January, 2010. With her own brand of warmth, humour and energy, Juanita took on the challenge of working with a choir that was used to Kevin’s way of doing things! Juanita introduced us to new and different forms of choral music and really stretched us. Wearing our country’s colours of red (scarves) and white, we presented Canadian Rhapsody in the Spring of 2010, accompanied by Darlene TerMarsch. A Christmas Garland featured percussionist Owen Stanton-Kennedy and guitarist Anthony Ridi. In April 2011, the Choir invited all to Come to the Water, featuring choir soloist Stephanie Schizkoske, a small vocal ensemble, cellist Marion Arthur and various instruments.
Senior Nuns’ Chorus
In the spring of 2011, some choir members had the privilege of joining Fellowes High School students in the school’s production of the beloved Sound of Music, performing as ‘senior’ nuns.
2011-2019: Gerald LaRonde
On Saturday, Nov 26, 2011, Gerald LaRonde and 16 choir members braved the cold to sing Christmas carols at the Pembroke Cenotaph before the Christmas Parade of Lights started, then joined the parade on foot, singing, to Festival Hall. Gerald had undertaken the job of directing the choir for the Christmas 2011 concert entitled The Glory of Christmas which featured Vivaldi’s Gloria with a small orchestra and Robert Patterson on drums.
Jamie Loback
In the Spring of 2012, the Pembroke Symphony Orchestra invited the Choir to join with them in their 20th Anniversary Spring Fling Concert. Gerald LaRonde was our rehearsal director and Jamie Loback (Pembroke native and director of the Capital Chamber Choir and Director of Music at St. Joseph’s Parish, Ottawa) was the guest conductor for the Choir and symphony’s performance of Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass. The mass featured soloists Kathleen Radke, Whitney O’Hearn, Jeff Boyd and Christopher Mallory. That fall, about 16 choir members entertained Pembroke Parade of Lights watchers with carol singing at the Pembroke Cenotaph. The group then joined the parade, singing Caribbean Christmas songs in keeping with the parade theme. Despite technical difficulties with a too-cold CD player, the show went on! Our Christmas on Broadway concert featured a White Christmas collection of Irving Berlin songs.
In the spring of 2013, Gerald LaRonde directed the choir in Karl Jenkins’ exciting work “The Armed Man – a Mass for Peace”. The concert featured soloist Stephanie Schizkoske, 20 orchestra members, accompanist Darlene TerMarsch and special guest, Muezzin Abdollah Vakily from Cornwall, ON. The Fall included a few exciting firsts. Choir members manned a booth to raise our profile in the community at the September Showcase at the Petawawa Civic Centre. About 35 choir members created a flash mob at the Germania Club’s Christkindlmarkt on Nov 30, singing Peace, Peace which features the German carol Silent Night – followed by a concert promo and a ticket giveaway. A group of 6 choir members enhanced the Petawawa Library Christmas Open House on Dec 7, by singing carols in the library foyer. Our Classical Christmas concert featured works by Vivaldi, Rutter, Handel, Bach and even his cousin P.D.Q.! During the reception after the concert, choir president Marie Zettler presented Bentley Horne with a framed plaque and Life Membership in appreciation for his 25+ years of service to the choir as a member of the tenor section, Concert Chair, and President; and for his beautiful work designing and printing concert materials, recording performances, and producing videos for us.
In the spring of 2014, we recorded “John Brown’s Body” as a spooky soundtrack for the local Irish Play, Everybody’s Crazy, which is set in a haunted hotel. We were privileged to share our favourite numbers from our Gospel Jubilee concert with the residents of Miramichi Lodge and Marianhill in June, and again on Saturday, June 7 at Grace Lutheran Church in Eganville as part of the two-concert Festival of Choirs. This event was hosted by the Ottawa Valley Music Festival and also featured the Deep River Choral Society and the Mackenzie Secondary School Choir of Deep River. Following performances at the Christkindlmarkt and Parade of Lights, our Fall 2014 concert was A Traditional Christmas.
Bentley Horne created a YouTube channel for excerpts of our recent concerts, including Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man. It was noticed by Distinguished Concerts International of New York, who invited us to perform in the North American premiere of Jenkins’ beautiful work The Peacemakers at Carnegie Hall, as part of an international massed choir. Twenty of our members made the trip in January 2015, and were the only Canadian participants. To follow up on our New York debut, we ordered shirts with “New York” in glitter and in April performed Pembroke to Broadway. This was our first concert in all-black dress. We gave preview shows at Marianhill and Miramichi Lodge, as well as a flash mob at the Pembroke Mall. In the fall, we entertained the Parade crowds, then performed Adventus – music of Advent.
We saluted the Academy Awards in the Spring of 2016 with Oscar Through the Years! which featured award-winning songs from 1933 to 2013 and a Disney extravaganza. Longtime board member and section leader Jill Renault was presented with her own award at the end of the show – a Life Membership. Residents at Marianhill and Miramichi got a sneak preview. The December concert featured Christmas Choruses from major works, as well as Vaughn Williams’ Fantasia on Christmas Carols with guest soloist Kevin Nieman. We also entered a float in the Parade of Lights for the first time. The parade theme was a Charlie Brown Christmas; we sang excerpts from the movie on hay bales behind Snoopy’s doghouse, surrounded by painted cutouts of Peanuts characters, and won the Mayor’s Award!
To celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday in 2017, we performed a wide selection of music – from sea to sea to sea, including an Iroquois soundscape. Our guests were Inuit throat singers Abigail and Charlotte Carleton, who gave us a sample of the traditional friendly competition. We took a preview concert on the road to Bonnechere Manor in Renfrew, as well as Marianhill and Miramichi. After the Whitehorse Community Choir performed on Canada Day in Ottawa, we hosted them in a joint concert at Calvin United. Paul McClelland’s Irish pennywhistle, bodhran, and Scottish smallpipes brought a true Celtic sound to a sold-out Christmas 2017 concert. We continued to spread cheer in the community at the Parade of Lights, the Downtown Pembroke Shop Hop, the PRH’s Christmas Home Tour, and the Community Living Christmas Party.
The Champlain Trail Museum invited us to participate in their History Days at the Pembroke Mall in February 2018, and perform in June at their Strawberry Social, as they were also celebrating their 60th anniversary that year. For A Wedding Celebration, we chose a selection of love songs, including pieces that were commissioned for royal weddings. A slideshow of choir members’ wedding photos added a special touch, as did Blaine Sack’s organ accompaniment for some of the pieces. Bonnechere Manor and Marianhill were treated to mini-concerts beforehand. At our AGM dinner, we celebrated our 60th by inviting several former and longtime members to participate in a Fireside Chat of memories hosted by Kevin Nieman. Our 2018 Christmas concert, Night of Silence, featured soprano Jessica Belanger, and was performed in Pembroke and at her home church in Renfrew, Our Lady of Fatima. Cogeco recorded the concert and featured it daily from Christmas to New Year’s, while Marianhill residents were treated to a preview in November. We also went carolling, providing the “musical tapestry” for the Parade of Lights, the PRH fundraising tour at the Dobbs Home, and the Downtown Shop Hop.
In February 2019, we hosted and billeted the Redeemer University choir. They put on a stunning concert at Our Lady of Lourdes that included the ethereal Miserere Mei Deus which Mozart transcribed from memory. We celebrated Palm Sunday with Karl Jenkins’ moving work, Stabat Mater, which uses the 13th-century Latin poem about Mary’s experience at the foot of the cross, as well as a smattering of Greek, Aramaic, and Hebrew. We were accompanied by a 31-member orchestra, and soloist Danielle Vaillancourt. Christmas Through the Eyes of a Child featured the Renfrew Children’s/Youth Chorus and was performed on 2 nights to nearly sold-out crowds at Most Holy Name of Jesus Church – our first time in this venue. Later in December, a group from the choir braved the cold to spread some Christmas cheer by singing carols outside Giant Tiger.
2020 and beyond: Gerald LaRonde
The choir had grown to 95 members when rehearsals for a 60s-themed concert ended abruptly in March 2020. By July, we were planning for a virtual Christmas performance, and 28 brave alumni from BC to Quebec recorded videos at home, with Gerald’s direction and the scores playing on their computers. Didier Renault blended the sound and videos into a polished package that premiered on YouTube on the first Sunday in December, our usual Christmas concert date. Desperate for in-person singing, a dozen of us got together do some door-to-door carolling in the east end. In 2021, we did a virtual spring concert that highlighted two of the worst-hit areas of our lives – weddings and funerals. Small groups were able to carol in December at retirement homes, the library, and in a downtown neighbourhood.
We resumed our regular rehearsals in the Fall of 2022. Our numbers were down and many struggled with illness, but we packed the house for Christmas Joy! To ensure that members didn’t miss anything if they had to isolate, we recorded the rehearsals and put them on YouTube. In the Spring, we picked up our Sixties music, donned tie-dyed shirts and bell bottoms, and held two concerts with very enthusiastic audiences singing along to “Sweet Caroline”! The Chartwell residences got a sneak preview of the music and costumes.
For Christmas 2023, we went on a world tour of carols, singing in Catalan, French, German, Hebrew, Latin, Polish, Spanish, and Swahili. We took the residents at Carefor Cecelia and Chartwell Heritage along on our travels. In the spring, we tackled Brahms’ German Requiem – but in English. Our soloists were graduating students from the University of Ottawa; we were delighted to welcome baritone Madox Terrell, and soprano Jessica Green who grew up in Pembroke and was a PCC member during high school.
