Jumbo jazz choir readies for first performances
Students from four local schools join voices this April BY ANDY RICE
Paul Cummings isn’t trying to break a Guinness World Record for the largest jazz choir, although it would be forgivable for you to think so. Why else would he be spearheading a vocal ensemble that involves 120 students from Grades 1 to 12? “Because it’s often difficult to find the time and the circumstances that pull our School District together musically,” said Paul. “This is a chance for me and the other music teachers to work together on a common project, and also for kids of all ages to sing together and inspire one another.” Fellow educators Roy Carson and Megan Skidmore have been rehearsing groups at Kelly Creek, Westview and Edgehill Elementary Schools since December and will soon join forces with Paul’s ensembles from Brooks. “We’re going to have a dry run at the Powell River Festival of Performing Arts at the beginning of March and then really cut everyone loose at the Townsite Jazz Festival next month,” he said. There, the SD47 Mass Choir will open for Fifth Street, a quintet of rising stars from Victoria, on April 5 at the Max Cameron Theatre. They will also appear the following night at Dwight Hall in support of Tanga, an energetic Latin fusion ensemble based in Vancouver. Past attendees will recall that this was where the Brooks/Max Alumni Jazz Band made its much-much-anticipated debut last year. Paul said he may involve alumni in future iterations of the festival but ultimately wanted to shake
things up for 2019 and create a larger opportunity for current students in the community. “As both artistic director of the Townsite Jazz Festival and head of the Brooks Music Department I’m so lucky to have my hat in both rings,” said Paul. “Our students can get a whole other level of experience out of this, being able to perform for what I’m sure will be a packed house, twice, and open for some amazing musicians.” Although their set won’t be a long one, the SD47 Mass Jazz Choir will cover an impressive variety of musical ground – everything from a dixieland-steeped rendition of When the Saints Go Marching In to Hugh Masakela’s famous anti-apartheid anthem, Mandela. “Harmonically it’s a very simple piece, but there are some really interesting things that happen,” said Paul. “The hope is that the older students will be like big brothers and sisters to the younger kids as they rehearse and perform this music together.” Vocal parts will vary in difficulty according to the age level of the students, and plenty of hand signals have been devised in order to ensure that everyone is moving in the right direction. “I’ll be there sort of directing traffic as we improvise between each of the different parts,” said Paul. Because baritone singers are rather hard to come by at the primary level, members of the Brooks Jazz Choir will be using microphones to keep the balance in check. And, as if the on-stage numbers aren’t already impressive enough, the SD47 Mass Jazz Choir will be joined by an additional 50 instrumentalists for their Townsite Jazz Festival performances, bringing the total to 170 or more. Guinness, are you listening?
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• march 2019 • prliving.ca
“So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole world.” ~ Bahá’í Writings
Look jazzy •
T
hese Townsite Jazz Festival super-fans will be going the extra mile this April, cruising from concert to concert in their finest vintage garb. Not only have Michelle Zutz, Romeo Styles, Steve and Tanya Brooks bought four of only 20 festival passes available this year, but they’ve also begun putting together a series of outfits that harken back to the golden era of swing. “I just like to look the part,” said Romeo. “I think it sets the tone for the festival and pays homage to the artists as well. I think they like to
