“The Heart to Heart Singers” are a newly formed choral group on the East Shore of the South Kootenay Lake. We meet for weekly practices at The Heart a gathering place, the former St Anselm’s Anglican Church that is now owned and managed by the Boswell Historical Society. Members of “The Heart to Heart Singers” are working towards becoming a community service choir that offers musical support during memorial services and other community functions. During the past year we have organized workshops with both the East Shore Kootenay Lake and the Creston Hospice and Palliative Care Coordinators as we prepare to offer musical support to individuals and their families dealing with end-of-life issues, including residents of assisted living and long-term care.
As a relatively new choral group, we are also taking every opportunity to work with experienced music directors in order to develop and improve our choral skills. With these goals in mind, we applied for, and received a Neighbourhood Small Grant for a half-day Master Class with Ellie Reynolds, a local music director who is also a talented composer and performer. Ellie studied theatre and music and completed a degree in English Literature at the University of Cambridge before moving to Canada in 2007. She has written, performed, and toured two full-length one-woman plays (“Matchmaker on the Roof” and “The Way They Came”) and leads both a children’s choir and a local adult signing circle.
On May 25, 2023, Ellie Reynolds led “The Heart to Heart Singers” in a half-day workshop at The Heart. She shared a range of songs from different cultural traditions, and taught our group some practical warm-up techniques and general skills to enhance musical performance. At the end of the three-hour workshop, we hosted Ellie during an enjoyable lunch and social gathering. We are grateful for the financial support provided by the Neighbourhood Small Grant Program that made this workshop with Ellie possible.
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