Westshore’s newest troupe of singers: Choral Evolution Society

This story was originally published in The Westshore newsletter, February 22, 2022.

By: Arrthy Thayaparan

The pandemic was not an easy time for Sally Titchkosky. Isolated from friends and with no one to sing with, adjusting to the world’s "new normal" took quite a toll on her. But that’s when Titchkosky and seven Westshore community members banded together through their shared frustrations to found a solution: the Choral Evolution Society.

"I love singing. It’s just a bit of normalcy at this time, which we all need," said Titchkosky, who is the president and a board member of the society, "It’s just a happy place to be for me, and I think for the other singers too. People really look forward to Wednesday nights, it’s our happy time."

Choral Evolution Society currently has 22 singers from all over the Westshore, representing every generation, and with different levels of singing expertise ranging from karaoke amateur to semi-professional musician.

To the Society’s artistic director and conductor Bruce Ruddell this group of singers finally resolves a yearning he’s had for years. The yearning to create community, and give singers in the Westshore an opportunity to share and grow their art.

"It was really important to me to try to break into the Westshore communities, because I know there are singers out there," said Ruddell, "I’d drive through the Westshore, this phenomenally huge community, and I kept asking, ‘Are there any choirs? Anyone singing here?"

Practices have been a challenge for the group, who started singing together on Zoom.

"I’m sure everyone by now knows that because of latency and things that happen with online apps, that the sound does not come out. Everyone’s singing at the same time, so rehearsing was a real challenge, but we kept going because we wanted to," said Titchkosky.

After overcoming weeks of online challenges, the team managed to come together in-person over the summer with fewer pandemic restrictions. But were forced back online with rising cases in COVID-19 variants. Eager to sing together again, the singers eventually bundled up and braved the cold for outdoor practices in the winter.

"We went out for four Saturdays in a row. Bundled up, masked, outdoors, and covered up. That’s how much they wanted to sing, and we actually accomplished a lot," said Ruddell of the team, who he also likes to call a "troupe of warriors eager to make music."

The Choral Evolution Society recently announced that they are preparing for in-person performances coming up on March 4th in Colwood, and March 5th and 6th in Sooke.

Albeit the obstacle of being masked while singing, the team is excited to showcase a wide range of musical arrangements from Metallica to Radiohead to Mozart.

For Sally the days of the concert can’t come any sooner, as she’s eager to show the community who and what Choral Evolution Society is all about.

"This is my happy place. It means a lot to me. I think if we can manage to make the music happy and sound good with these restrictions, when we don't have the restrictions then we'll be just wonderful," she said.

Ruddell encourages anyone who’s been yearning for music and community to come out and join them in March.

"Anybody who has been really wanting to hear people sing in harmony again, should just come out. Look, it's been almost two years since anyone has heard people singing beautifully together. We’re doing really inspiring, cool music, and you’re going to love it!"