Big Band
Our Big Band is an 18-piece ensemble that plays a wide variety of jazz and popular music. Our repertoire includes classic tunes from Count Basie, Duke Ellington and others; Latin and jazz standards; and big band arrangements of contemporary popular music. We rehearse Friday mornings at Kerrisdale Seniors Centre from September to June. For more information, go to the Big Band page, or contact Brenda Clark at bclarkca@gmail.com.
Chamber Players
Our Chamber Players is a group of 8 to 10 orchestral instrument players who get together Wednesday afternoons at Brock House. Sheet music is provided. For more information, email our office at reception@brockhousesociety.com
Folk Singing
Brock House folk singing group meets every second and fourth Friday in the Arts Room, 1-3 pm ( In the tent during summer). Dates for meetings until the end of the year are Friday 25 November; 9 and 23 December. “Folk music” is interpreted broadly to include Broadway, pop, and nostalgia etc music! As Louis Armstrong is reported to have said – “All music is folk music; I ain’t never heard a horse sing.”
We sometimes have non-mandatory “themes” such as on Remembrance Day. On Friday 23 December, 1-3 pm, the theme will be songs about Christmas. You are welcome to come along to sing, or listen, or a bit of both.
For more information, contact John Wade at johnwade1948@gmail.com.
Jazz Band
Our Jazz Band consists of three soloists, a three-piece rhythm section and a vocalist. We play old jazz standards and entertain regularly at Brock House, senior centres and care homes. Most of our performances are on weekdays. We practice Thursday afternoons at Brock House. For more information, go to the Jazz Band page, or contact Rob Arseneau at roba.pops@gmail.com.
Kerrisdale Choir
Our Kerrisdale Choir is a four-voice choir with a varied repertoire of gospel, folk, classical and jazz. We give two concerts a year and do sing-outs at assisted-living and long-term care homes, as well as community centres. We rehearse Tuesday afternoons at Kerrisdale Seniors Centre. For more information, contact either our choir president, Sharon Copeman, at scopeman@icloud.com or our membership chair, Diana Bragg, at (604) 224-3897.
Handbell Ringers
Our Kerrisdale Handbell Ringers have two choirs, each with 11 ringers. We use four octaves of handbells and three octaves of hand chimes. We rehearse at the Kerrisdale Seniors Centre on Monday mornings and Wednesday afternoons, and perform at assisted-living and long-term care homes, as well as community centres. We give two concerts a year at the Kerrisdale Seniors Centre, at Christmas and in April, and a quartet is available for smaller venues. No handbell experience required, but you do need to be able to read music. For more information, go to the Handbell Ringers page, or contact Grace Lau at grapeaul@gmail.com.
Orchestra
We are an amateur orchestra led by Cheng Xin Ip, a talented young conductor. We play a varied classical repertoire, perform at the Brock House Summer Fair and give a number of concerts at seniors’ residences throughout the year. We welcome any interested musicians. We are currently looking for a trombone, French horn, bassoon and 1st violin. For more information, go to the Orchestra page, or contact Barb Duzy at duzybarb@gmail.com.
Singalong Group
Brighten your day, leave your worries on the doorstep, come on over to the sunny side, and sing or swing along with our gleeful songsters. We hope the fun we have will improve your sense of joy and overall well-being and, of course, your singing. We’re accompanied by a pianist and a recorder player. All voices are welcome. We perform singalongs at Brock House events, and our monthly visits to Vancouver seniors’ homes are popular with both our hosts and our members. We meet at Brock House on Monday afternoons. For more information, contact the Brock House Society’s office at reception@brockhousesociety.com.