Dear readers, This speech was presented live on March 9, 2024 at the University of Alberta Faculty Club for the Madrigal Singers Brunch Concert and Fundraiser.  At the request of some individuals, I have published it below, enjoy! ----- Greetings U of A friends, family, and administrators, Thank-you to Tim Shantz and the University of Alberta Madrigal Singers, otherwise referred to as MAD’s from this point onwards, for inviting me here today to speak at your brunch fundraiser.  My name is Sable Chan and I am MAD’s alumni from 2008. I currently work as a S-LP with the public school b ..read more

Photo by Andy Rice Dear readers, I had the pleasure two weeks ago of reconnecting with my Canadian Chamber Choir (CCC) choral community. It has been seven years since I last sung with the group in-person on our Chicago tour of 2017. I was grateful to be a part of many online professional development sessions the CCC offered and I also had the opportunity to be a part of and the virtual choir premiere of Edward Enman's "Unimagined Light."  However, re-entering the touring process this time looked different because we were not just performing a set of prescribed choral scores ..read more

Dear Choir Girl readers, My blog is 15 years old! I am as surprised as you. While I have contemplated with the idea of retiring this blog, a few readers convinced me it is not yet time.  There is less arts journalism all the time. It is rare for a magazine or newspaper to even have funds to contract an arts and entertainment writer for local coverage these days. If you are lucky enough to get a writer in attendance at your event, you'd be lucky to have one that is knowledgeable enough to comment and critique the performance. It feels like the platforms with quality artistic discourse ar ..read more

 Dear fellow choral survivors of the pandemic, We made it this far! Perhaps our laptops are all running a bit slower with the increased amounts of video recording and sound recording software we downloaded to complete virtual choir tasks, we have an increased array of lounge pants to work in, and we have a pre-zoom meet routine of clearing our rooms of pets and family before joining calls. This past weekend was Podium 2022 in Toronto. The last one scheduled in May 2020 was cancelled. Fast forward two years and choral leaders, singers, choirs, administrators, exhibitors, and enthusiasts me ..read more

Dear readers, When a fellow live theatre goer shouted at me in the Fall 2021, "another survivor!!!" I chuckled at the statement. It took a moment before I realized that it was no exaggeration. I wish to acknowledge the hardship, adaptation, revision, planning, cancellations, equipment, protocols, and more that artists have had to navigate during this pandemic. We are, indeed, survivors. In these past two years, I have acquired black singer masks, more home recording equipment, attended zoom rehearsals when I don't feel well enough to attend in-person rehearsals, and rapid test before rehear ..read more

   There is no such thing as perfect. This theme emerges as I chat with Tone Cluster’s new Artistic Director, Deirdre Kellerman. In fact, Kellerman feels that parting with the mindset of perfectionism holds the key to discovering who people are as singers.   This past year was Kellerman’s first working with Tone Cluster, a 2SLGBTQ+ choir based in Ottawa. Choir members met online for a weekly rehearsal and produced home audio and video recording content for their virtual performances. There are many singers that Kellerman has not even met in person. She acknowledges the amount of ..read more

The subject of cultural appropriation verses cultural appreciation is a hot topic right now. While there are several books, articles, and blogs which address this subject, I have found that musicians and specifically choral conductors do not know what to do when programming music from a culture different from their own. My conducting colleagues have confided in me to say, “I want to be an ally, I want to diversify my program but I’m afraid that I will do it wrong. I do not want to offend anyone.” There is a real fear out there and these emotions of fear can have a firm grip on musicians. As ..read more

My name is Gloria. My parents bravely emigrated from Hong Kong to Canada over 40 years ago, making me proudly Chinese-Canadian. Additionally, I’m a conductor, educator, singer, instrumentalist, and Candy Crush enthusiast (Still? Yep). I’ve had my heart set on choir since my first encounter with a cluster chord in Grade 9, and an equally-large passion for contemporary, jazz, and pop music. Over the past decade and a half, I’ve had the immense privilege of learning, working, teaching, performing, and living in four provinces and states and two countries. By singing in a choir, I have experie ..read more

In a recent Instagram post, I shared some questions that I have been considering for the past couple of years, and I would like to provide some more background information regarding that initial posting.  First, I must acknowledge my positionality in this conversation.  I am an able-bodied, cisgender woman of mixed race (Filipinx, English, Irish, and German), a transracial adoptee (adopted by a white family), and a third year doctoral student in choral conducting.  I have had the privilege to work with many supportive teachers, professors, and advisors throughout my undergra ..read more

Dear Reader, I am excited to share with you news about an upcoming decolonizing choir series hosted here on The Choir Girl Blog.  This series is not a guidebook to becoming a decolonized choral professional. Rather, the blog will be a platform to share information and stimulate discussion. There will be a series of posts ranging in content from guest bloggers, interviews, and personal reflections. Reading, questioning, reflecting, writing, and decolonizing is an ongoing process. This series will reflect the same. My hope is to provide an uncensored platform for people in the ch ..read more