About Us
Impressions
Concordia Choir, Vancouver
The Concordia Choir, Vancouver is a mixed choir where not only songs are sung, but friendships are created and good times are had. Our choir was founded in 1976 with the purpose of keeping German folksongs and traditions alive. To this day we still continue to sing in German, as well as many other languages. Our membership consists of about 30 singers, primarily German-born and German-speaking, but also includes others that enjoy choir singing. We practice on a weekly basis at the All Saints Anglican Church, 7405 Royal Oak in Burnaby, under the direction of conductor Sergio Pires, pianist Tanya Frank and president Karin Frank. The choir is a sub group of the Vancouver Alpen Club.
Throughout the year, not only do we hold concerts at the Alpen Club at Victoria and 33rd Avenue in Vancouver, but we perform at a variety of community concerts such as the annual benefit concert for the German Canadian Seniors’ Home as well as at VanDusen Garden’s Festival of Lights in December, at the PNE, and at the European Festival held the last Saturday in May. We also sing at the anniversaries of the founding of the Alpen Club and the reunification of Germany and several times at senior centers throughout the Lower Mainland. Many of our concerts are held in conjunction with other German choirs from British Columbia or the north western United States. These get-togethers are often accompanied by an afternoon or evening of music and dance.
Concordia is one of 11 similar choirs belonging to a larger group, the North Pacific Association of German Choirs, founded in 1901 consisting of choirs from British Columbia, Oregon and Washington States. For almost a century these choirs have convened to share their love of music at a Sängerfest - a song festival held every two or three years. In 2008 the Concordia was proud to host this event in Vancouver where approximately 400 singers participated. The mass choir was truly something to listen to.
We always welcome new members to our choir.
Our practices take place every Thursday at 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. at the All Saints Anglican Church located at 7405 Royal Oak, Burnaby, British Columbia V5J 4J8.
Sergio Pires (our new Conductor)
Sergio Pires has a doctoral degree in choral conducting from Boston University, a master’s degree in Musicology from the Brazilian Conservatory of Music and a Licentiate’s degree in Music Education from the Federal University of State of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO). He studied conducting with Carlos Alberto Figueiredo in Brazil and with Ann Howard Jones, David Hoose and Daniel Moe in the United States . He also attended several workshops with renowned international conductors. Between 1990 e 1995 Dr. Pires conducted the ensemble Brasil Barroco Choir and Orchestra which focused on music from eighteenth century Brazilian composers. He also conducted the Merck Chorale and the Chamber Choir of School of Music Villa-Lobos. From 1997 to 2010, he was a tenured professor of choral conducting at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) where he conducted the school of music’s chamber choir and co-directed the university Symphony Choir, as well as other choral ensembles. He also taught conducting and musicology seminars, developed research projects on Brazilian choral music and advised a number of undergraduate and graduate students. He immigrated to Canada in 2010 and lives in Burnaby with his wife Kathleen and son Claudio.