Chor Leoni and its nine-member professional ensemble, The Leonids, celebrate strength and vulnerability with The Turning and the VanMan Summit Concert this month.
In both The Turning and the VanMan Summit programs we give voice in exquisite words and song to often invisible, hidden emotions and mental health struggles. – Erick Lichte
In The Turning, on stage at St. Andrew’s-Wesley United on May 11, the choir’s guiding principle of transformation through music is at the core of this concert.
Featuring newly commissioned and existing works that speak directly to mental health and wellness, the performance will include the world premiere of composer Sarah Rimkus’ The Watcher of the Wood, a deeply personal and poetic exploration of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The Turning is one highlight in a whole week of mentorship, rehearsals, and performance for Chor Leoni and The Leonids, which gathers singers of all ages for a week of study and celebration, culminating in the annual VanMan Summit Concert on May 13 at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts.
The VanMan Summit Concert will feature 200 plus singers from The Leonids, Chor Leoni, its MYVoice youth choir, emerging choral artists, and the VanMan Festival Singers. The program includes Argentinian and Malay folk songs, Medieval and Renaissance motets, show tunes, pop songs, sea shanties, and Romantic and contemporary choral classics. Each group will perform individual sets and unite to become Canada’s largest lower-voice choir for one night.
“In both The Turning and the VanMan Summit programs we give voice in exquisite words and song to often invisible, hidden emotions and mental health struggles,” says Chor Leoni’s artistic director Erick Lichte. “Our members and audiences come to Chor Leoni as a place of support and acceptance. These spring events express and embody our commitment to creating joyful spaces where vulnerability and strength are in harmony, and people can be wholly themselves.”
Chor Leoni Men’s Choir presents The Turning at St. Andrew’s-Wesley United (1022 Nelson St, Vancouver) on May 11 and the VanMan Summit Concert at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts (6265 Crescent Rd, Vancouver) on May 13. Visit chorleoni.org for tickets and information.