SINGING SUCCESS

bl - Friday, May 31, 1985 - North Shore News

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PAGE 63

B.C. Boys Choir is going places

THE B.C. BOYS CHOIR (BCBC) suffers from a
typically Canadian affliction: it is blessed with iocal
world-class talent, bui cursed with local apathy

towards that talent.

By TIMOTHY RENSHAW

Founded in 1968 by its pre-
sent choir director, Donald
Forbes, the BCBC has toured
Holland seven times, been to
Russia, Poland, Germany,

and criss-crossed both
Canada and the United
States. It has made countless
radio and television ap-
pearances, recorded 19
albums, and been compared
to the world famous Vienna
Boys Choir by discriminating

European critics.

In its home town of Van-
csouver and from its hone
based of West Vancouver's
St. David's United Church,
however, the choir is relative-
ly unknown, largely ignored,
and currently facing an acute
financial crisis.

Nathan Fong, a 26-year-
old member of the BCBC and
its four-man board of direc-
tors, says music, especially

what might) be considered
esoteric high-brow music
such as choral and classical,
has been given the short end
of the governmental
monetary stick and low
public priority: ‘In my
school days, we had a fan-
tastic choral and symphony
program in West Vancouver.
But today, music has all but
died in the school system. We
don't think twice about sen-

NEWS photo

HITTING ALLE the right notes is the British Columbia Boys Choir, under the direction of Donald Forbes. The choir, the only
non-liturgical, four-part boys choir on the North American continent is based out of St. David's United Church in West
Vancouver where Forbes is organist and choir director. The choir will be singing at St. David's on June 20.

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ding athletes to compete in
other countries, but when it
comes to music, we somehow
don't think it is important."*

On July 9, the BCBC will
leave for its cighth tour of
Holland, a country where its
overwhelming popularity
with Dutch choral fans and
critics alike was established in
a 1976 tour.

The approximately $50,000
needed to fund the 1985 tour
has yet to be found; the
choir’s application for a
$40,000 federal grant was
recently turned down.

Forbes, however, remains
undaunted by the choir's
financial predicament, saying
things have been a Jot worse.
The BCBC, Forbes explains,
is the only four part harmony
(soprano, alto, tenor, and
bass) young men’s and boys
choir in North American that
is not affiliated with a
church.This independence
makes the BCBC financially
self-reliant, says Forbes. To
raise money for its tours and
concerts, choir members have
done everything from selling
oranges, to chickens.

Though the secular in-
dependence of the choir
makes its dependent on a
wide variety of unreliable
donation sources, it also
allows the BCBC the flexibli-

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ty of repertoire to cover a
wide variety of major choral
works from the 15th Century
through to modern times and
flexibility of musical styles to
attempt anything from
classical to modern spiritual
to traditional folk.

The choir’s contribution to
the world’s supply of
beautiful vocals is matched
by its contribution to the lives
of its members. Nineteen-
year-old Mark Brailey, a
nine-year BCBC veteran,
says the choir has enriched
his life immeasurably: ‘1
have made friends here, |
have learned the discipline of
punctuality and the physical
discipline required to stand
for two hours when we sing,
and {| have learned how to get
along with people in what is
teally an extended family
environment."*

The value of the BCBC
cannot be measured in
dollars says Fong: ‘‘the boys
earn and retain a real sense
of dedication to the organiza-
tion. I would hate to see a
choir like this die. tt would be
so very sad.”

The BCBC will perform at
8 p.m. June 21 at S.. David's
United Church, 1525 Taylor
Way, West Vancouver. For
ticket information call
922-3961.

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