Harmony PROFILES: ROCK THE SOUND CHOIR

Rock the Sound Choir Finds Its Voice at Harmony Centre

By Lorraine Campbell

Owen Sound has a wealth of performing arts and artists – and Harmony Centre is home to so many of them!

Rock the Sound Choir is one such community choir singing in Harmony. Originally organized by local musician Tara MacKenzie in 2012, the baton was passed to singer and choir member Holly Sled in 2020. As we all know, 2020 was a bad luck year for so many people and groups.

Holly faced the challenges creatively – since singing indoors (two banned activities right there) was not permitted, she gathered her group and they met in her backyard to share the joy of music.

Once life had settled a bit she and her choir ventured indoors, first to St. George’s Church hall and then back to Harmony Centre, where it had all begun. Holly has a close attachment to the Centre as it was Knox Church – Harmony’s previous incarnation – where she attended services and sang in the church choir as a child. Coming full circle has been very satisfying for her.

Rock the Sound Choir has doubled from 25 members post-pandemic to 50, currently. The choir meets Sunday nights from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. from September until the end of April. The choir has three sections, low medium and high voices, each with a section leader so that Holly can circulate and spend time with the groups as they learn their part.

The song list is composed of several genres of music – classic rock, pop, modern, rap, country – there is something for everyone. Holly and the members work towards an April concert as a culmination of all their efforts over the eight months of singing together. The concert is open to the public and held in the Greaves Auditorium at Harmony Centre. Of course, each year the focus is different. Last year the theme was music from Motown, and this year… Holly says it is a surprise.

Holly mentioned that the choir is diverse and inclusive, open to anyone interested in singing for the joy of it. Do you sing in your car, in the shower, or to your dog? You’ll fit right in! She teaches the songs by ear and by repetition, not by sheet music. She provides audio tracks so you can practice in your kitchen or in your car.

Gentle, patient, and inclusive, Holly makes people feel comfortable. For first-time choir members, she fosters a safe environment and helps new voices feel brave enough to sing out loud. “Everyone that wants an opportunity to shine can have it”, she says, “and everyone that doesn’t want to shine – because there are lots of those folks too- well that’s cool too. We are all here for the pleasure of group singing”.

Holly emphasizes that Rock the Sound Choir is for everyone. If you are interested in joining, it is not too late. There will be some catching up to do, but the choir has until April to learn everything. You can contact Holly at missholly1976@icloud.com.

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Profiles is an awesome series of articles by Harmony Centre board member Lorraine Campbell. Each month, Lorraine writes about the people and the community groups that make this remarkable facility what it is today.