Dear Chor Leoni friends,

The early cherry blossoms are in bloom and the first bulbs are in flower - it must be March in Vancouver! This early spring issue of the eRoar includes the following:

1. Spirit Journey contest: A Hodgepodge of Hedgehogs.
2. More notes on Spirit Journey.
3. No Holds Bard tickets on sale March 19!
4. Chor Leoni Eastward Bound.
5. The Soothing Sounds of Chor Leoni's Healing Voices.
6. Great News About Chor Leoni's Endowment Fund!
7. Check out our growing collection of performance video clips!

1. Spirit Journey contest: A Hodgepodge of Hedgehogs.

One of the "edgier" (others may say "off the wall") pieces in Spirit Journey is Igel und Agel, which stars a pair of star-crossed . . . hedgehogs. Poet Christian Morgenstern employs words both nonsensical and fantastic, leaving plenty of room for a variety of interpretations. This Morgenstern web site has the German urtext as well as a translation by Max Knight. Some of our choir members have tried their hand at translations and interpretations which you will find here. Now it's your turn!

Working either from the original German or Knight's translation, write your own interpretation (in English, please.)

Entries must be posted on the Chor Leoni web site through the comment function at the bottom of the Igel und Agel page. Submissions by email, Canada Post, or carrier pigeon will be rejected. All submissions must be received by March 15, 2007.

2. More Notes on Spirit Journey.

Chants, incantations, lullabies, love songs, laments, poignant folk songs, and powerful spells; you'll find them all in Chor Leoni's upcoming Spirit Journey. The concert programme is listed here, and you will find excellent programme notes and translations here.

Chor Leoni's incredibly talented piano man, Ken Cormier, will take a star turn as soloist, performing Henry Cowell's bravura The Banshee. He'll also figure prominently in works by Allan Bevan, Michael Head, and Pablo Casals. This concert will be provocative, interesting, arresting, tuneful (at times), entertaining, edgy, and maybe even a little bit scary. Come prepared for a choral adventure!

3. No Holds Bard tickets on sale March 19!

It may seem premature to be thinking about summer entertainment before the first "official" day of spring arrives, but savvy Chor Leoni fans know that in the case of our wildly popular concerts in the Bard on the Beach tent it pays to get tickets early since they sell out so quickly. Tickets for this year's No Holds Bard go on sale through the Bard on the Beach box office on March 19 so circle that date on your calendar. Better yet, call in to order your tickets! In response to audience demand we have added a matinee performance on June 25 at 3 pm so you have three performances to choose from.

The Bard tent is a spectacular venue featuring Vancouver’s West End skyline, North Shore mountains and sunset as its backdrop. Add in Chor Leoni’s riveting entertainment, choreographic surprises, and musical guests and you know that No Holds Bard will leave you smiling and cheering for more!

4. Chor Leoni Eastward Bound.

Chor Leoni has toured to Alberta's Big Sky country, the Okanagan, Minnesota, Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia. This summer the lions are finally traveling to Central Canada on a ten-day tour to Quebec and Ontario. Our itinerary includes performances in Montreal, Lachute, Quebec City, Ottawa, Waterloo, and Stratford. The lions will present the closing concert of the prestigious Stratford Summer Music festival, perform as part of Christ Church Cathedral's New Music Summer series in Montreal (a CBC broadcast event), and sing in Lachute, Quebec City, and Ottawa. We will also sing for a church service in Montreal, at the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa, and present a workshop at the University of Waterloo.

As more details of our tour are confirmed they will be listed here, so check back often. The lions are very excited to be coming to Quebec and Ontario and we look forward to singing for our friends in the area and meeting new ones!

5. The Soothing Sounds of Chor Leoni's Healing Voices.

In December 2006 Chor Leoni announced the release of Healing Voices, a double CD compilation of previously released tracks, live performances, and new recordings targeted for use by therapists and other care workers, clients, institutions, and agencies who care for people. Healing Voices features Chor Leoni at its soothing best and has been an unqualified success.

Chor Leoni made the decision to release this CD as a non-profit enterprise, and for this reason it is not commercially available. Everyone involved with the project, including conductor, producer, instrumentalists, singers, composers, arrangers, photographers, proof readers, graphic artists, CD manufacturer, choir volunteers, distributors, and therapists (to name most, but not all) have graciously donated their time and expertise to allow us to sell it at cost.

Healing Voices is for the use of therapists and other care workers, patients, friends and family of patients, clients, institutions, and agencies who provide care for people. Under these circumstances the CD is available for sale at cost. Alternately it may be sold for profit as part of fund raising activities, with the understanding that any gain is used solely to benefit patients and clients.

For further information about Healing Voices please contact project manager Dick Loomer, 7061 Cypress Street, Vancouver BC, Canada V6P 5M2 or email HealingVoices@chorleoni.org.