Sing with us
Island Bel Canto Singers is pleased to announce that we have resumed in-person operations under the artistic direction of Fiona Blackburn and with accompanist support by Stefanie Unger! Rehearsals are held at St. Philip By-the-Sea Anglican Church in Lantzville, from 6:45pm to 9:15pm (doors open at 6:30pm). Membership is contingent on observing our COVID-19 safety plan (see link below).
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We accept new members into the choir at the beginning of each term:
- The Fall term usually begins on the Wednesday following Labour Day and ends with our Christmas concert(s) in early December.
- The Spring term typically begins the second or third Wednesday in January and ends with our Spring concert(s) in early May.
The first 2 weeks each term are run as “open rehearsals”. This means you can attend these rehearsals with no obligation, to see if you enjoy the choir and want to continue. During this time, you will be partnered with a member in your section to answer your questions and provide information and support that you need/ask for.
If you'd like to continue with the choir, our Artistic Director will conduct a short informal vocal assessment with you. This is not as scary as you think! Check out what's involved below:
It is important to note that Island Bel Canto Singers is better suited for singers with some choral experience and basic music reading skills.
Once you fully join the choir, you will receive access to the members’ section of the website, to download sheet music and other resources. You will have until the end of September/January to pay your fees.
We rehearse Wednesday evenings, from 6:45pm to 9:15pm, at St. Philip By-the-Sea Anglican Church at 7113 Lantzville Rd (map). Sectional rehearsals may be held as required; members are expected to attend if they can.
Your member fee helps to cover the choir’s expenses for both rehearsals and general operations.
We strongly believe in the value of singing, and we will not turn away any singer for financial reasons. If finances are a challenge for you, instalment payment plans and subsidy options are available.
To help you learn your music, we create computer-generated mp3 tracks for each part and supply sample recordings, where possible, of the songs in our repertoire. We also do audio recordings of rehearsals later on in the term, and then post the recordings on the choir’s website.
Our safety plan is subject to change at any time (good or bad), based on current BC PHO and church rental requirements.
Most importantly, all members must provide proof of being fully vaccinated (3 doses) in order to attend in person. Wearing a mask while indoors is no longer mandatory; personal discretion is advised. Where possible, members are asked to practise physical distancing while indoors.
We will have single-use 3D singer masks available for sale at rehearsals; these are supplied by musicfolders.com and allow more space inside the mask. You also have the choice to wear a surgical-grade mask of your own choice.