Well! Our Stella’s Circle Inclusion Choir had quite the night last weekend. We performed at the Huron Carole with Tom Jackson and band. What an experience it was! Many choir members had not been to the Arts and Culture Centre before and to be on the big stage was an event that many people will remember for a long time. And what commitment each person showed.  Choir members enthusiastically attended numerous extra practices.

Our choir is much more than a choir. It’s a place where Stella’s Circle participants, volunteer accompanists and conductor, and staff come together as one. Each week, we practice and, thanks to recent support from the Bruneau Centre for Excellence in Choral Music and the Research Centre for Music, Media and Place, we sit down together after rehearsing and enjoy a meal together provided by the Hungry Heart Cafe. Other than the funding provided by these generous organizations and an individual donor, the choir operates by charging for performances and relying on the selflessness of our volunteers and staff.

During our performances, the reaction of the audience is always heartwarming. Many people don’t know what to expect from the group. Sometimes, audience members wonder who in the choir is a participant versus a staff member. At the end of our performance, most people come to the conclusion that it doesn’t matter. We’re a group of people brought together by music and bound together through shared experiences.

Have’s video for our three songs, courtesy of Dave Hiscock.

Thanks to the Huron Carole organizers for including us in this great event and being so respectful of us.  We are also grateful to Dave Hiscock for wonderful photos and video – a great gift to us!  And thanks to Tom Jackson who listened to our rehearsal and inspired us with his words.  An amazing evening!

– Lisa Browne, CEO, Stella’s Circle