...Aaaand We're Back!

Hey all singers fresh or seasoned,

September is here, and it's beautiful. I am full of new songs to teach and sing, and here's your official invitation to the first session of the Acapellaboratory, year 5! Welcome, or welcome back! So come and warm up that body and that voice of yours with us.

Bring yourselves and anyone new to come and check us out. Men especially welcome - we love basses especially, but baritones and tenors welcome.

Don't know what your voice range is? It's okay, come anyway.

The whole session starts next week, Sept. 14th, Wednesday at 7pm.

September 14th and 21st are for new people to come and check us out, so bring your friends and co-workers and family.

Everyone will get an intro to some of our new material and a song or 3 from previous sessions.

By week 3, the 28th, we'll be flying.

I've got a Brazillian tune, a beautiful lament from Australia, some kick-ass Canadian stuff, and lots more. SO EXCITED!!!!

Here again are the details, so you can forward them to anyone you would like to have join us.

Wednesdays Sept. 14th - Dec. 7th

7 - 9pm (includes a break around 8 or 8:15)

770 Commercial Drive (at Adanac)

Space is Limited, so come and save your spot!

$100 per session

*Limited Subsidy Available

Sept 14th and 21st New singers incorporated!

Whole Session: Sept 14th - Dec. 7th (13 weeks)

All Singers Welcome, no previous experience necessary, but if you have it, that is GREAT.

*Singers need to attend 9 rehearsals minimum in order to sing in our final UnConcert.

love and harmony,

Patti

New Choir Session starting Wednesday April 13th!

Hey everyone,

We're open to new singers joining for the next session! New singers can come April 13, 20 or 27 (or all three!) to come and check us out.

Then you sign up for session that lasts until June 29th.

If you can breathe, have a pulse and just want to sing with other people, come! All ages, all abilities. Families welcome.

April 13 - June 29th (concert on June 29th!)

$100 for the session

7 - 9pm

770 Commercial Drive (at Adanac) - the Lion's Den

Vancouver, BC

patpow986@gmail.com for more info!

We Got on TV!

We had a visit from a local community television station, who'd heard about the choir. I'm really pleased with the results of the visit. I think they captured a good deal of what we're about. Thanks to Marni from the choir, and to Dave and John for doing the piece!

Where Have We Been Up To?

Hi all,

As I first write to you, I am cuddled up on a couch in Brentwood Bay. It is my birthday, the 7th. I am slowly recovering from a bout of Vancouver Island flu. My friend Helen has just gone out for eggs for our breakfast, while Patricia makes me a smoothie from her garden. Life ain't bad, even with virulent microbes!

What You've Been Up To!

I hope you had a good week over there - I hear you got all funked up with the lovely Ms. Pemberton. Ain't she the greatest? We are so privileged to have so many skilled and generous folks here in Vancouver like herself.

Mark your calendars for February 23rd. We have a request by Telus Community Television to be filmed! The crew will be by sometime between 7:30 and 8:30 that night, and we'll just do what we do. This is thanks to one of our newer members, and her enthusiasm for the choir!

If privacy is an issue, you have an option. If you aren't into being filmed for their little cable community show, you can step back for that portion of the rehearsal, or just ask to have your face digitally blurred. The crew will provide consent forms.

Here's what Dave Gerry, the producer, sent me:

"I'm a producer/reporter currently doing stories for the community broadcasting division of Telus. I heard about the choir from another producer and wondered if you might be interested in having us do a feature story on the organization. We do a show for Telus cable subscribers called myVancouver which is hosted by Simi Sara and myself. Telus does similar shows in both Edmonton and Calgary. Here's a link through which you can check it out."

http://www.telus.com/content/tv/iptv/clients/community_programming.jsp

So hey gang, maybe we'll get more singers, maybe we'll inspire more people to reclaim their voices in some way, and maybe we'll get some invitations to sing somewhere!

Onward Acapellabies!

I'm really looking forward to seeing you tomorrow, even if I'm still a little sick. Don't dogpile on me or let me breathe on you, and we should all be fine.

What Patti's Been Up to:

I've just come from a wonderful rich and uplifting week with choir-director types like me. I don't know if you know, but I started this choir after a training program that I did about 5 years ago. I went to Victoria and joined the Community Choir Leadership Training, led by Shivon Robinsong and Denis Donnelly. I gained immeasurable support and confidence there.

Here's the website - worth a look. (I think I'm in a couple of pictures on the training pages).

http://www.communitychoirleadership.com/the_program.php

About 30 of us from the past 7 years gathered, led workshops for each other, taught and learned songs and listened a lot to one another. I have had these people in my pocket, on my shoulder, over the phone for the past few years as I've led the Acapellaboratory. They are a far-flung network of deep support and love. There's about 70 people who have taken the program, from all over North America, and including Japan!

You may not also know that our Acapellaboratory is part of the Ubuntu Choir Network.

http://www.ubuntuchoirs.net/model.php

From the Website:

We are a growing community of choirs who believe that the joy of singing is a universal birthright, and that together, regardless of musical background, we can help improve the world by joining voices in song. Read about our model, or browse some stories about how we make the world a better place.

“I am, because you are. I need you to be you so that I can be me. A choir is a choir only because its different parts work together harmoniously. Yes, a person truly is a person only through other persons. God bless you in your noble endeavour.”

— Nobel Laureate,
Archbishop Desmond Tutu,
regarding the Ubuntu Choirs Network

We have sister choirs all over the place:

*the Golden Bridge Community Choir in L.A.

*the Port Townsend Songlines;

*Letz Sing in the Comox Valley;

*Les Chorales Allez Chante! in Montreal.

and many more.

So these are my people. So they're YOUR people.

I'm so excited to be re-connected to this wonderful group of people, all steered in the same direction, towards connection, towards solidarity, towards community and tons of FUN while getting there!

I'm glad you are all there with me too! Let's go!

See you tomorrow!!!!

love,

Patti

Acapellaboratory UnConcert This Wednesday! Dec. 15th

Come out and hear and see what we've been cooking up at the Acapellaboratory!

We are a gang of people coming together to sing. We welcome anyone, all ages and abilities.

We are teachers, nurses, bus drivers, moms, dads, sons, daughters, activists, doulas, doctors, students,

We'll be singing songs from all over the world:

Among them a Scottish lullaby, a Saskatchewan wailer, a Kentucky folk song, a tune from the Afro-Cuban Santeria tradition, and songs from the African American tradition!

Come and enjoy!

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15TH

The Lion's Den

770 Commercial Drive (at Adanac)

Show starts at 7:30

Shared potluck food and drink and hanging out at 8:30-9:30!

Cost: $0 - 5

All proceeds donated to The Lion's Den Recreation Centre

Wheelchair Accessible

Hey all lovers of song,

This is an announcement for our upcoming season! If you or anyone you know might be interested in joining a gang of fun folks singing all kinds of cool and beautiful acapella music from around the world, please forward this message!

Hope you have all had a rich and renewing summer. I've missed you and all the sweet magic and sounds and community we've been making together!

So, we're starting a new season! Here's the deets:

Sept 15th 7pm (at the latest!) til 9pm

770 Commercial Drive (at Adanac)

The Lion's Den

13 Sweet Weeks

$110

Some scholarships/subsidies available. Apply to Patti.

The practice space is wheelchair accessible. The bathrooms are not so much.

New to the choir? Come and check us out the first night and see if it's a fit!

***Everyone is welcome. Everyone can sing, no matter what you were told, no matter what you were made to believe. All that is required for this choir is the desire to raise up your voice with other people. All ages welcome.***

As with every choir, we always need more guys, so bring your men friends, partners, co-workers, family members!

You'll get the usual smattering of music, recordings (I am committed to give them to you earlier this year!), and at least one UnConcert, in early December! Hopefully a couple of other oppourtunities as well!

Any questions, concerns, contact me!

Patti Powell

Director and arm-waver

patpow986@gmail.com

Join Us in Song this Friday Feb. 12th

Thanks to Red Sara, a member of the 'Lab for sending this. I quote her thus.

Dear Friends,

I would like to invite you all to join me at the Welcoming Rally on this Friday afternoon to reclaim community priorities! We will demonstrate that we are not all supporters of the Olympics (which has become a corporate consumerist bonanza, and a one billion dollar security fiasco! Did you know you can build 20,000 houses for the cost of the security for this event?!)

I will be present and singing with a choir. There will be two hundred (plus) of us singing songs of freedom and celebration in four part harmony. Lots of the songs are easy to sing, and you are invited to walk along with us. Sing along, or just surround yourself with our sound. I believe that within our choir and extending outwards into the march and to the world, our peace will be a powerful force to be reckoned with!

Look for the choir in the North West corner of the Art Gallery plaza.

In solidarity and creativity!

~RedSara

Friday Feb.12th
"Welcoming Committee" Mass Rally
TIME: Gather at 2:30, then singing in the march until BC place. Perform at BC place where the march arrives.

PLACE TO MEET: North West area of the Vancouver Art Gallery, on Hornby
(if you are meeting up with us at BC Place, look for us in the main North West area between 4:30 - 5pm!)