Fredericton, New Brunswick
This is a picture of the New Brunswick Legislative Building built in 1882.
Fredericton is the first stop on our East Coast tour.
We are performing as part of the “Fredericton Playhouse Spotlight” series.
We’ve had a little time to go out and do some exploring…
…which meant there was enough time to get up to “no good”!
We had a great lunch at the Snooty Fox Pub…
… where we heard some local musicians play. Only in the Maritimes!
The Lord Beaverbrook hotel has special meaning to me. I grew up on Beaverbrook Street in Winnipeg. It was named after the same Lord Beaverbrook who was a Canadian business tycoon in the early 1900s.
Even the managers of the choir get “down in the trenches” to lug a riser or a box of programs for tonight’s concert. It almost looks like Vi is shopping!
Saint John, NB
We sang our first concert of our East Coast tour last night in Fredericton, NB at the Playhouse Theatre. Jenny (right) and Catherine are standing with Tim Yerxa and Mark (left). Tim is the Executive Director of the Playhouse. Jon Washburn, our conductor, humorously pointed out that the first time he conducted the choir in the Playhouse was in the early 1970s… probably before Tim had even been born.
Fabi (from our alto section) took this picture outside our hotel in Fredericton before we got on a bus to take the short trip to Saint John. She thought it was funny, and so do I. It may be mean, but being that I am from the Prairies I get a kind of perverse pleasure watching the choir of Vancouverites deal with winter weather. I actually think I had Fabi convinced that once this bike got its snow tires on, it could be up and running anytime.
Unfortunately she didn’t fall for the “lick the metal moose and get your tongue stuck” trick, either.
I know we’ve only been away for two days, but the ocean reminds me of home.
I saw this poster in a window as we were out discovering Saint John.
Saint John is the city of adventure, and where better to find that adventure than finding a gang out front of the Imperial Theatre?
I caught a picture of this group of hooligans hanging out on a Friday night.
Here we are during our sound check. We usually dress a little better for concerts…
Speaking of dress… on a tour not that long ago, these two were walking down the street wearing these hats when a truckload of teenagers yelled at them, “Go home, Commies!” (The irony was not lost on me when I saw that the truck was red.) Every time I see them wearing these hats together I think of that story.
The Imperial Theatre is beautiful on the inside, too!
Our hosts, Cambiata, were just so lovely. I really enjoy working with a local choir. Singing next to a person in a choir builds a strong relationship so quickly.
Those relationships last a lifetime. Janet Kidd (right) and Vi sat beside each other in the Chamber Choir for 7 years back in the 1970s/80s.
I never knew that both Donald Sutherland or Stompin’ Tom were from Saint John.
Saint John is so pretty. We will definitely be back!
Maine
We left quite early to head out to Bangor and Portland, Maine for the
USA portion of the tour. We had a 3-hour delay at the border because a
computer glitch had caused one of our singers’ visas to not be processed
in time. All we could do was wait it out and hope everything turned out
for the good (which it did). 
The concert in Bangor was at 3:00 pm and our extended wait at the
border left us with no time for a meal, which meant GAS STATION LUNCH.
My favorite purchase was my huge Hot Mama Sassy Pickle. One was big
enough to feed the entire choir, and came individually packaged. (I kept
mine as a souvenir and am hoping that it doesn’t get punctured and leak
all over my concert tuxedo.)
We put the pedal to the metal and made it to the church in time to sing the concert.
St. John’s Episcopal Church in Bangor was the perfect setting for us. The beauty of the place added to the beauty of music and some of the repertoire we were performing was waiting for this beautiful acoustic to make it shine. It felt as though the music flowed out effortlessly.
Fabi is limbering up for the upcoming choral acrobatics.
Small price to pay for such a rockstar body!
We were back on the bus for a quick trip to Portland, ME. Some of our members went to extreme measures to battle snow blindness.
Portland is so cute and full of great restaurants and gift shops.
For lunch I made a few of us go to a restaurant called the Porthole. I had seen it featured on a show on the Food Network called “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives”.
Mmmmmm… my lobster sandwich.
We saw some crab fishermen…
…and, oddly enough, we saw a piece of the Berlin Wall.
It was this image that my mind kept going back to as we performed a piece on our program called “Dona nobis pacem” (Give Us Peace).
The Merrill Auditorium in Portland is beautiful!!!! This picture doesn’t begin to do it justice, but you can see the barrel-vaulted ceiling. Stunning!
After the concert, pretty much the whole group of us went for a lobster feed.
I have had more lobster in the last 2 days than I have had in the last 2 years, and I can honestly say that I am lobstered out…
(which is good, ‘cause we’re going back to Canada tomorrow and we all know that on a musicians’ salary we can’t afford it there ).
The concert in Bangor was at 3:00 pm and our extended wait at the
border left us with no time for a meal, which meant GAS STATION LUNCH.
My favorite purchase was my huge Hot Mama Sassy Pickle. One was big
enough to feed the entire choir, and came individually packaged. (I kept
mine as a souvenir and am hoping that it doesn’t get punctured and leak
all over my concert tuxedo.)
We put the pedal to the metal and made it to the church in time to sing the concert.
St. John’s Episcopal Church in Bangor was the perfect setting for us. The beauty of the place added to the beauty of music and some of the repertoire we were performing was waiting for this beautiful acoustic to make it shine. It felt as though the music flowed out effortlessly.
Fabi is limbering up for the upcoming choral acrobatics.
Small price to pay for such a rockstar body!
We were back on the bus for a quick trip to Portland, ME. Some of our members went to extreme measures to battle snow blindness.
Portland is so cute and full of great restaurants and gift shops.
For lunch I made a few of us go to a restaurant called the Porthole. I had seen it featured on a show on the Food Network called “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives”.
Mmmmmm… my lobster sandwich.
We saw some crab fishermen…
…and, oddly enough, we saw a piece of the Berlin Wall.
It was this image that my mind kept going back to as we performed a piece on our program called “Dona nobis pacem” (Give Us Peace).
The Merrill Auditorium in Portland is beautiful!!!! This picture doesn’t begin to do it justice, but you can see the barrel-vaulted ceiling. Stunning!
After the concert, pretty much the whole group of us went for a lobster feed.
I have had more lobster in the last 2 days than I have had in the last 2 years, and I can honestly say that I am lobstered out…
(which is good, ‘cause we’re going back to Canada tomorrow and we all know that on a musicians’ salary we can’t afford it there
).Antigonish
We had a very long trip from Maine to Antigonish. It actually took us
two days. Every touring group needs a manager like Violet. She has the
uncanny ability to anticipate our needs and to find us a hotel that has
the exact amenity to fit the situation (i.e. our hotel was right beside a
liquor store… hallelujah!!).
This was the view from my bus seat for those two days. Our bus driver, Terry, braved the elements and delivered us safely to Antigonish.
During these long trips, everyone at the back of the bus practices their music non-stop from the moment they sit down to the moment they get up.
We also practice: patience, flexibility, adaptability, resilience and tolerance. When we pointed out the acronym for this was PFART (hahaha), the powers that be were not amused.
This is a typical action shot on a VCC bus trip.
Antigonish is a very picturesque town filled with old Victorian houses, with St. Ninian Cathedral dominating the landscape from up on a hill.
We had a quick workshop with the choir from St. Francis Xavier University.
The choir has quite a history with St. Francis Xavier. We have toured here at least six times in the last 20 years. Here’s a concert poster from when we visited in the 80s. It was hanging up in a hallway in the school.
This was pre-Photoshop. The feathered hair and dry ice effect was very cutting edge in those days.
We sang a glorious concert that evening in the Cathedral. In one of our pieces there is an “echo quartet” which sings from offstage and echoes the main choir. Jon told us that it sounded like he could hear 5 echoes (a good thing). St. Ninian has the most incredible acoustics, and we love coming back here to sing!
Here’s Marla in the Cathedral.
The Vancouver Chamber Choir’s website includes a list of concerts described as “The VCC’s Defining Performances“. On the list is: ”Every concert in St. Ninian's Catholic Cathedral, Antigonish, Nova Scotia”. Click here to see for yourself.
It was a little frigid during the concert, so much so that the women were wishing they had tailcoats to wear, just like the men do.
After the concert there was a reception in the beautiful, newly renovated gallery located in the school next door.
A great night was had by all!
This was the view from my bus seat for those two days. Our bus driver, Terry, braved the elements and delivered us safely to Antigonish.
During these long trips, everyone at the back of the bus practices their music non-stop from the moment they sit down to the moment they get up.
We also practice: patience, flexibility, adaptability, resilience and tolerance. When we pointed out the acronym for this was PFART (hahaha), the powers that be were not amused.
This is a typical action shot on a VCC bus trip.
Antigonish is a very picturesque town filled with old Victorian houses, with St. Ninian Cathedral dominating the landscape from up on a hill.
We had a quick workshop with the choir from St. Francis Xavier University.
The choir has quite a history with St. Francis Xavier. We have toured here at least six times in the last 20 years. Here’s a concert poster from when we visited in the 80s. It was hanging up in a hallway in the school.
This was pre-Photoshop. The feathered hair and dry ice effect was very cutting edge in those days.
We sang a glorious concert that evening in the Cathedral. In one of our pieces there is an “echo quartet” which sings from offstage and echoes the main choir. Jon told us that it sounded like he could hear 5 echoes (a good thing). St. Ninian has the most incredible acoustics, and we love coming back here to sing!
Here’s Marla in the Cathedral.
The Vancouver Chamber Choir’s website includes a list of concerts described as “The VCC’s Defining Performances“. On the list is: ”Every concert in St. Ninian's Catholic Cathedral, Antigonish, Nova Scotia”. Click here to see for yourself.
It was a little frigid during the concert, so much so that the women were wishing they had tailcoats to wear, just like the men do.
After the concert there was a reception in the beautiful, newly renovated gallery located in the school next door.
A great night was had by all!
Wolfville and the Blomidon Inn
This post was written by Lucy Smith from the soprano section. Here she is enjoying a big lobster.
After a relatively short drive from Antigonish, we arrived in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. Us newbies were particularly excited to see our home for the next two days: The Blomidon Inn.
A Nova Scotia sea captain's mansion, built in the 19th century, this has been a favorite of VCC'ers since the choir started coming to Wolfville 18 years ago.
We had a great workshop with Acadia University's choirs, and sang a concert to a very appreciative audience.
After the concert, we retired to the drawing room and had a lovely evening curled up in wingback chairs in front of the fire.
After a refreshing sleep in a four poster bed, it was time for our day off. The sun rose bright and warm over Wolfville and we decided to take advantage of the unseasonable weather and go for a walk in the marshes.
After a week of concerts it was so rejuvenating to blow off some steam in the wind and sun.
After a relatively short drive from Antigonish, we arrived in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. Us newbies were particularly excited to see our home for the next two days: The Blomidon Inn.
A Nova Scotia sea captain's mansion, built in the 19th century, this has been a favorite of VCC'ers since the choir started coming to Wolfville 18 years ago.
We had a great workshop with Acadia University's choirs, and sang a concert to a very appreciative audience.
After the concert, we retired to the drawing room and had a lovely evening curled up in wingback chairs in front of the fire.
After a refreshing sleep in a four poster bed, it was time for our day off. The sun rose bright and warm over Wolfville and we decided to take advantage of the unseasonable weather and go for a walk in the marshes.
After a week of concerts it was so rejuvenating to blow off some steam in the wind and sun.
The ins and outs of eating on tour
Quite possibly the most oft-repeated question by touring Vancouver Chamber Choir choristers, after "what time do we need to be on the bus?" (or in the case of the ladies, "how did my nylons end up ripping again?!?!?"), would likely be "do we have time to eat?". Our touring schedule tends to be rather hectic, often consisting of the following pattern - wake up, board bus, rehearse, perform, repeat - so finding time to make sure our daily dietary requirements are met can be a tall order. However, we've learned a few tricks of the trade over the years, and I'll outline some basic (and yummy!) considerations below.
When To Eat: This is trickier than it sounds. If you're used to having the typical "three meals a day", fitting meals in can be a rather mind-boggling experience. Our schedule changes on a daily basis, and can be rather unpredictable, so most of us have adopted the "seize the moment" approach and make sure we eat whenever we can. This often results in early breakfasts, non-existent lunches, small snacky foods, and rushed pre-performance dinners. The main rule: if you get a chance to eat, do it...grab some food (for present and future noshing) or the window of opportunity might just slam shut. (I speak from experience here. A few days ago we stopped at a Starbucks for a break, but I'd already had breakfast two hours before and didn't feel like buying anything else. It was six hours before the next time we stopped to eat, at which point I felt about ready to gnaw on the bus seats.)
Eating breakfast at 6:30 a.m. might leave you chewing with your eyes closed, but it's the best way to go.
A rather spiffy bowl of oatmeal seems just about right for those early mornings...
Where To Eat: This consideration can be separated into two categories: those food stops that we have the opportunity to choose, and those we don't. For the former category, we can often rely on the veteran choristers with the most travel/tour dining experience to point us in the direction of the restaurants serving up the best local delicacies. For example, I know that Marla or Gordon will often be able to suggest something particularly decadent. Some of the basses and tenors always seem to be able to sniff out the great neighborhood pubs. Hotel concierges are good sources of information, too.
Once we've decided on a place, we either make a reservation en masse, or 10, 11, 12 of us will simply show up at the restaurant and hope they don't run away screaming at the thought of seating so many ravenous choristers at once...
Scenes like this are certainly not uncommon.
Of course, if the weather outside is frightful, we're having a day where we're less inclined to explore, or if we have 45 minutes to eat before we brush our teeth/do makeup/iron concert dress/review music/pack garment bag/leave for performance, the hotel restaurant often provides a wonderful (and speedy) alternative.
Then, there are those places which are chosen for us by simple luck of the draw, such as roadside truck stops in between bus destinations, hotels where only grocery stores are accessible, or even convenience stores, such as when we stopped after our long wait at the U.S. border. (Everyone attempted, in their own way, to cover as many food groups as possible. My selection: chips, beef jerky, and a banana.)
A roadside restaurant somewhere between Saint John and Sackville. I tried to talk myself out of the turkey sandwich and into a BLT instead. It didn't work. I tried to talk the waitress out of the peas and order a side salad instead. It didn't work. I am not a very persuasive person. But the turkey sandwich was good.
One night, Marla and I stocked up at the grocery store and concocted a salad of romaine, avocado, raspberries, tomatoes and carrots. Yes, I'm cutting veggies with a plastic knife and using a plastic bag as my cutting board.
The finished product. See that hummus on the table? Evil, evil hummus...it resulted in a near-sleepless night for me.
What To Eat: This consideration is the most interesting, but it's also a balancing act between our taste buds, our gut, our vocal cords and our wallet. As touring singers, it's sometimes difficult to find the balance. Of course, in a perfect world, we'd likely all just be constantly sampling the finest of regional cuisine...
Very posh, ladies.
See, Larry and Edward? I DID get a lobster roll!
This was just one of Grace's many lobster experiences on tour.
...however, if we were constantly wining and dining, our bank accounts would not be very pleased with us. Perhaps more importantly, there are all sorts of extra considerations needing to be made to ensure we're able to stay healthy as touring vocalists. We might love eating those fresh waffles from the do-it-yourself hotel waffle maker, but we might not enjoy them a few hours later when bouncing around on rocky roads on the bus. Yogurt is great for calming the ol' digestive system, but the dairy might not be great for that evening's performance. A lack of snacks to nosh on throughout the day might leave one feeling faint under the theatre lights. A decadent meal one night might mean acid reflux the next. (And don't even get me started on the hummus..). Since our bodies are our instruments, we have to be that much more aware of what we're chowing down on. What I've learned: drink lots of water, take probiotics, keep snacks handy, don't overindulge (too many times, anyway), and attempt to cover the major food groups.
See? You got your protein, your veggies, your fruits, your carbs...
And, if you've successfully navigated all these basics, sometimes...there might even be room for dessert.
(Happy birthday, Vi!)
-By Jenny McLaren, the non-picky alto eater
Lunenburg
After a beautiful day off in Wolfville we woke up early and made our
way to Acadia University where we hosted our Interplay workshop for
composers. The sessions involve the choir singing compositions “in
progress” so that the composer(s) can hear which elements of a piece
work and which don’t. It is an extremely valuable tool for a composer to
have their pieces sung through, and Jon and the rest of the choir have
so much experience and knowledge to impart. Over the years we have
found pieces during these sessions that have become part of our standard
repertoire. We’ve also found pieces that 99% of the choirs in the world
could not perform (even us).
You can tell by the all-black attire that the choir is either singing a workshop, acting as extras in the TV show Six Feet Under,or are Hutterite refugees.
As we drove into Lunenburg the whole choir gave a collective sigh. This is the town that dreams are inspired by, and was the second-last stop on our tour of the East Coast. The historic town was designated a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site in 1995. This designation ensures protection for much of Lunenburg's unique architecture and civic design, being the best example of planned British colonial settlement in North America.
One of my favorite signs on the trip.
One major difference between when you visit a place on a vacation as opposed to visiting with the choir is that with the choir you usually get only a couple hours to see as much as you can of any particular place. Here we were in one of the most historic and beautiful places in the country, so a few of us went to a distillery (we have priorities). Oh, and along the way we made a quick stop to see the restoration of the Bluenose II, a provincial icon for Nova Scotia as well as an important Canadian symbol….look at a dime.
Bill is working the still… mmmmmm
The Bluenose II restoration.
The concert in Lunenburg was held in St. John’s Anglican Church, one of the most beautiful churches I have been in.
The star constellation pattern on the ceiling is supposed to be the same one as was in the sky the night Jesus was born. Thank goodness one of the oldest citizens of Lunenburg remembered that night very well.
In the morning Jon led a singing workshop for members of the community. People asked me if he was always so charming and funny. He’s always been quite a charmer, but funny??? I’ve heard some his jokes… not funny!!!
We got back on the bus and headed off to Halifax for our final concert.
You can tell by the all-black attire that the choir is either singing a workshop, acting as extras in the TV show Six Feet Under,or are Hutterite refugees.
As we drove into Lunenburg the whole choir gave a collective sigh. This is the town that dreams are inspired by, and was the second-last stop on our tour of the East Coast. The historic town was designated a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site in 1995. This designation ensures protection for much of Lunenburg's unique architecture and civic design, being the best example of planned British colonial settlement in North America.
One of my favorite signs on the trip.
One major difference between when you visit a place on a vacation as opposed to visiting with the choir is that with the choir you usually get only a couple hours to see as much as you can of any particular place. Here we were in one of the most historic and beautiful places in the country, so a few of us went to a distillery (we have priorities). Oh, and along the way we made a quick stop to see the restoration of the Bluenose II, a provincial icon for Nova Scotia as well as an important Canadian symbol….look at a dime.
Bill is working the still… mmmmmm
The Bluenose II restoration.
The concert in Lunenburg was held in St. John’s Anglican Church, one of the most beautiful churches I have been in.
The star constellation pattern on the ceiling is supposed to be the same one as was in the sky the night Jesus was born. Thank goodness one of the oldest citizens of Lunenburg remembered that night very well.
In the morning Jon led a singing workshop for members of the community. People asked me if he was always so charming and funny. He’s always been quite a charmer, but funny??? I’ve heard some his jokes… not funny!!!
We got back on the bus and headed off to Halifax for our final concert.
Halifax
After our workshop in Lunenburg, we made our way to the big city of Halifax.
We had a little time to explore the city.
A picture of the harbor.
We decided we didn’t have enough time for a quick swim… Shucks!
We met and old friend… Alexander Keith!!
Getting ready for our concert.
A real back stage experience!
The beautiful St. Patrick’s church.
Violet took this video on her phone. What a great trip!
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