Sing Again Community Choir

Free your voice and learn to sing in harmony by ear, with an inclusive, fun and encouraging group!

Are you unsatisfied with singing alone in the car?

Do you miss singing in community (but not a formal choir)?

Would you rather learn to follow your ear than sheet music?

Re-ignite your passion for singing!

  • Free your voice and creative expression in a safe and supportive, informal group

  • Sing a mix of classic songs, and short, easy-to-learn uplifting layer songs, rounds, call & response, world music

  • Learn to harmonize by ear, and “wing it”. No experience necessary

  • Explore your range, move around the room and try different parts

  • A mix of acapella and accompaniment by ukulele (and sometimes piano, bass and percussion).

What is harmony?

Pete Seeger once said “harmony is any note you sing that’s different from your neighbour’s”. It’s the sound of two or more notes sung simultaneously (like a chord played on the piano), and it’s my ”raison d’etre” - my greatest joy! The melody of a song is the familiar tune, and a harmony is a higher or lower part, generally following the shape of the melody. Our choir is a diverse mix, from beginners to experienced singers, and not everyone will want to learn to sing a harmony part; this works out well because, without melody singers, there would be no harmony!

Check out this fun video of us creating harmonies on “Let It Be” at The MAC this summer (harmony can make you laugh and cry)!

Sing Again is now in two locations:

Parksville (McMillan Arts Centre)

and

Nanaimo (First Unitarian Fellowship of Nanaimo)

Check out both - they are going to be different!

Sing Again in Nanaimo:

The Nanaimo group will be a little different than my Parksville group, with more layer songs, rounds, call-and-response, and world music (while the Parksville group will shift to a mix of Christmas repertoire).

I’m excited to share with you the new songs and skills I learned at the Ubuntu Choir Network’s Community Choir Leadership Training program in Victoria!

All voices are welcome, from experienced harmony singers, to those who need some encouragement to share their voice. This is community singing!

Where? Unitarian Fellowship, 595 Townsite Road, Nanaimo

When?

  • October 16 - December 18: Sing Again every Monday for 10 weeks: Mondays, 2 - 3:30pm

Cost:

  • $20 to drop in, or save on 5 sessions for $80

  • Become a member for all 10 weeks for $160, with the option to attend the Parksville Christmas sessions if you wish (cost is prorated to the number of weeks remaining).

Payment*:

Preferred payment is cash/ cheque, or E-transfer to sylvia@sylviahumble.ca.

If you wish to pay by credit card, email me and I’ll send you an invoice.

*DISCLAIMER: By paying, you acknowledge that some choir sessions will be recorded on video, and clips will be shared on social media, to share the joy of singing in harmony and for marketing purposes. If you’re not comfortable with this, you can request to stay off camera.

Questions?

Please email me at sylvia@sylviahumble.ca

Check out my YouTube channel for more harmony videos and tutorials, and community singalong moments!

Sing Again is a choir where every voice has a place, and you can be yourself and enjoy singing with others who share the love of singing, without worrying about getting the notes exactly right… and maybe take some risks and get creative! This is what I call community!

Parksville: Sing Again This Christmas

Parksville: McMillan Arts Centre, Thursdays 3:30 - 5pm

From October 19 to Dec. 21 (10 weeks) - Drop-ins welcome until Nov. 9

We'll get to know about eight songs, and then sing them at some community events (for those who would like to join me): Errington Hall's Christmas Concert on the evening of Dec. 16 (three songs), Two afternoon community singalongs at The MAC on Dec. 17 and 23, and possibly some care homes. These are singalongs, not “performances”.so there is no pressure. Here’s our list of songs we’ll practice (there will be more classics we don’t practice):

And our pop songs that are in the spirit of Christmas, with some bittersweetness: 

  • "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen

  • "Imagine" by John Lennon

  • "Song For A Winter's Night" by Gordon Lightfoot

We’ll also sing some call-and-response and layering songs just for fun, and do some freestyle harmonizing, with lots of opportunity to develop your ear for harmony, experiment, and improvise.

Drop-in Cost*: $20 per session (drop-ins end after Nov. 9)

Membership Cost: $160 for all 10 weeks. Prorated for the number of weeks remaining).

If this is prohibitive, please email me; energy exchanges (trades) and bursaries can sometimes be arranged.

  • Members can come to both Parksville and Nanaimo groups! (Nanaimo will not have Christmas songs). Mixing it up a bit will enrich our community!

After Nov. 9, the Parksville group will be members-only with no more drop-ins, so that we can really gel and prepare to lead some community singalong events (optional).

Payment*:

To register, please send payment by E-transfer to sylvia@sylviahumble.ca.

If you wish to pay by credit card, email me and I’ll send you an invoice.

*DISCLAIMER: By paying, you acknowledge that some choir sessions will be recorded on video, and clips will be shared on social media, to share the joy of singing in harmony and for marketing purposes. If you’re not comfortable with this, you can request to stay off camera.

Questions? Please email me at sylvia@sylviahumble.ca

Why become a member?

Sing Again is not your average choir; there are no auditions, it’s informal and we don’t follow sheet music. You’ll never be pigeon-holed into an assigned part - you can explore your range, move around the room, and try different parts for different songs. It’s all about creative self-expression and sharing the joy of singing in harmony!

Over the course of 10 weeks, we’ll create some great-sounding harmonies (and melodies, if harmony is not your thing), hone our listening and harmonizing skills, and gel as a group. We’ll also get to know each other and where our voices fit in the group. The experience of singing together gets sweeter the more we connect in song and community spirit!

As a member of Sing Again, you’ll have access to a private members page where you’ll find our choir session logs, plans, and song recordings with separate tracks for the melody and harmony parts, to help you learn to sing in harmony by ear (or even just learn the melody). At our sessions, we’ll form groups that sing in the same range, which many people find keeps them on track. I encourage people to explore different parts / ranges depending on the day, or what they’d like to sing on a particular song - it’s all about freedom to play and explore.

You’ll get comfortable with the group, the songs, and your voice. The more we sing the songs, the more magical sound and connection we create!

Sing Again isn’t about perfection; it’s about being ourselves, being willing to make mistakes, laughing, and growing in confidence and self-expression!

Satisfied Singers:

“I am amazed...I felt like I freed up part of myself that had been blocked all my life. I am so happy to have found a voice inside me and let it come out more. Sylvia made me feel like it is ok to sing; in fact it is important. She gave me confidence…”

— Denise, Nanoose Bay, BC

“I missed singing with others so much after two kids and a pandemic scuppered my time as a chorister. Sylvia created a super friendly and warm atmosphere for us all to reconnect with the joy of singing together. She made us feel supported and safe. We had fun together and it was a beautiful experience! I highly encourage anyone else with rusty pipes and a love for harmony to spend some time in the singing community being built by the talented Sylvia at Sing Again.”

— Katie, Nanoose Bay, BC

Rob, Nanoose Bay, BC

Kieran, Nanaimo, BC

Shirley, Nanoose Bay, BC

Dunley, Parksville, BC

Sean, Parksville, BC

Jenny, Parksville, BC

Merrien, Nanoose Bay, BC

Mary, Nanoose Bay, BC