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Types of Singing Events
Open Voices has a wide and varied repertoire which ranges from folk and pop to classical and world. This not only gives us variety and challenge, but it provides us with greater flexibility when we sing at our three main types of singing events. These include concerts, open sings and guerrilla gigs.

Concerts
So far, we have held several highly successful concerts. A good number of our concerts feature a guest artist who have been primarily Canadian folk or jazz musicians that our director has met at various music festivals and events. But the choir doesn't limit itself to this. The choir has also included the musical talents of its members, students from Queen’s University, and the debut performance of Georgette Fry’s new choir.

Each term, Open Voices tries to include a different style of music so it can broaden its musical experience. So far, the choir has experienced a variety of folk, jazz, pop, classical, opera, world and sacred music and they have even thrown in a few rollicking party songs for good measure.

Another popular feature of the concert is audience participation. The choir director will teach the audience how to sing the soprano, alto, tenor and bass line and then invite the audience to join the choir in singing the song in glorious 4-part harmony. The audience love it, and so does the choir.

The ticket sales have been great and feedback from the audience has been very positive. The ticket prices for the concerts are set at a price we hope everyone can afford and we donate tickets to various agencies to distribute to their members.

To read more about each of our guest artists, click here.

Open Sing Dec '05Open Sings
Open Sings is another popular feature of Open Voices that is held twice a year, or once per term. These are free events that are basically a rehearsal open to the public. The repertoire includes a mix of current songs being sung by the choir, Open Voices favourites from other terms, and individual songs that were requested a few weeks in advance. Each Open Sing is based on a particular theme. For example, in December the music was in keeping with the season. The choir also scheduled events at the same time as other community choirs around the world, such as the “Sing for Peace” initiative.

Open Sings not only provide us with an opportunity to share the Open Voices experience, but it gives the community a free evening of community and song.

Songbooks are provided on loan and a freewill offering is collected to cover expenses. Any extra is donated to charity.

Guerilla Gigs
The third type of singing event is, what the choir affectionately calls, guerrilla gigs. These are community events, often for a cause or charity, that are attended by volunteers from the choir who are free to volunteer their time to sing. There rarely is a problem getting a balance from each music section. These events are fun, informal and spontaneous and, in many cases, act more as a music backdrop, than a staged event.