Submitted by Leah Jones
Leah Jones is a voice teacher and choir director who has recently moved here to the North Thompson Valley and is starting up three new choirs to town.
Leah and her partner, Bob Anderson have spent a wonderful summer getting to know their new neighbours and working on their property. They look forward to making more friends in the future and further involving themselves in community here in the beautiful North Thompson Valley. “Everyone has been so welcoming and charming,” say the couple.
Leah has had plenty of experience singing in and directing choirs of all ages and abilities, and is looking forward to doing the same here in Barriere and in Clearwater.
Now that they’re settled in, Leah is booking students for voice and for children’s piano, and also for students that want to learn ‘fancy camp guitar’.
Her choice of music for choirs is varied and exciting. There are always plenty of opportunities for solo singing and for instrumentals. Leah has what she likes to call ‘teaching choirs’, where the development of reading and choral music skills are developed while learning the repertoire. Her introductory fees have been kept low so any level of ability or income can join. Her fall session has 11 practices with one dress rehearsal and two performances.
When she says ‘all the year-round’, it means that there will be a spring session as well, running from February through to April with a late April or early May performance and there will also be possibilities in the early summer for some choir touring and competitions.
The Adult Community Choir, for those of you 19 and older, is open to anyone who loves to sing; no experience is necessary. Leah will run two sessions a year for this choir. Fall session starts Thursday, Sept. 27, at 6:30 p.m. at the Pentecostal Christian Life Assembly Church, and runs to Dec. 6, with a dress rehearsal and two Christmas performances. The Spring session starts in early Feb. and runs to mid April in preparation for a late spring concert.
The Youth and Children’s Choir is a combined choir where the older kids mentor the new ones and also will be asked to play some accompaniment instruments of their choice. Children are those aged seven - 11; youth are those aged 12-18. The youth will have some of their own songs. This choir will join the adult choir for the Christmas performance. They will meet at the same place and days as the adult choir, but the times will be from 3:30 – 5 p.m.
There will also be an Auditioned SATB choir for a spring CD recording. The female parts for this choir have been filled. Tenor 1 and tenor 2 are still required as is a bass and possibly another bass/baritone. If men cannot be found in time, then female contraltos will be considered. If that is the case, then a soprano/alto position may open up.
So, if you want more music in your life or the lives of your family and friends, come out for a fun-filled afternoon or evening of song. You can contact Leah for more information and costs – see her ad on page 15 of this paper.