Dear Faithful Concertgoers and Vancouver Chamber Choir Supporters,

2018-2019 is going to be an unusually exciting season. Many changes are afoot with the Vancouver Chamber Choir.

The first part of 2018-19 will focus on presenting the last four of our six candidates for the position of Artistic Director, with the chosen successor scheduled to start in the fall of 2019. (Yes, I say six because we’ve unfortunately lost two candidates from the original eight.) But John William Trotter and Timothy Shantz have completed their audition concerts already and they will be joined by Kari Turunen, Kathleen Allan, Nicol Matt and Erick Lichte. These are all fine conductors, each fully capable of taking over the artistic reins of the Choir if chosen. The final decisions of the Search Committee are going to be quite difficult!

The second half of 2018-19 will see my own transition from Artistic Director to Conductor Emeritus. It will include several probable “lasts” — my last FOCUS! concert, Messiah, Conductors’ Symposium, Canadian tour, Good Friday concert in the Orpheum and Youth & Music concert and competition.

Another element in flux is the name of our long-time concert home, which has changed from Ryerson United Church to Pacific Spirit United Church, still at 45^th and Yew in Kerrisdale. Then, starting in January 2019, there will be a closing of the building itself for major renovations. So, that same month we will be moving to Shaughnessy Heights United at Granville and 33^rd as our temporary concert home… along with the Orpheum, of course.

And so I invite you to join us for this fascinating season of concerts and other events — our 48^th! It’s your participation that makes it all possible. You are not just attending a few concerts and educational events, you are supporting the whole process of change and renewal. Your subscription actually makes you a voting member of the Society, an important part of the organization.

This brochure will outline the whole season for you, and I think it is an outstanding one. You won’t want to miss any of the candidate concerts. Your attention and applause will not only welcome and encourage our guests, but is sure to play an important role in the difficult decisions of the Search Committee and the conductors themselves. And I hope you will want to be there as we celebrate the closing of this amazing 48-year journey which I have taken as the Artistic and Executive Director of this remarkable professional ensemble and organization.

Mind you, this will not be the last you see of me, for I will be back in future years in my new role as Conductor Emeritus. I’ll get the pleasure of the occasional concert without the burden of heavy administrative duties. We are already planning ahead for a gala 50^th Year Celebration, and I wouldn’t want to miss that!

But first, let’s do up this 48^th season in fine fashion. I promise, you won’t find a better choral season anywhere on this continent!

You won’t find a better deal, either. You can choose your most convenient combination of concerts… or go for all of them by choosing the Whole Songbook. (Be sure to include the Good Friday concert and celebration in the Orpheum!) My advice is to sign up now and rest assured that your favourite seats are reserved. Then we’ll be seeing you, starting in the fall, and I’ll have a full year to thank you yet again for your outstanding support over the last five decades.

Jon Washburn
Artistic and Executive Director