What is Carmina Bowena?
Carmina Bowena, meaning songs from Bowen, is a new choir on Bowen.
We are so fortunate to have such a variety of activities for Bowen Islanders – whether you like swimming, running, cooking, painting, sculpting, reading, acting, yoga, playing music or singing, Bowen has it all. Not bad for an island of just over 4,000 inhabitants.
As a regular concert goer for the past seven years, I can’t help but remark how eclectic our tastes are for music here on Bowen, and I believe there is room for something new and a little different.
The very first choir I initiated and directed, at the age of 15, was Archangeli, a 16 voice mixed a cappella choir (unaccompanied) that performed sacred Latin motets. Carmina Bowena is inspired by this more intimate chamber choir sound. There is a wealth of music written for four parts (SATB) and it would take several lifetimes to learn it all, so I have selected a repertoire which includes sacred and secular songs from the Medieval and Renaissance periods, ie. madrigals, motets, and part songs, as well as contemporary choral works by Canadian and international composers. An a cappella choir can have its challenges, but it does allow more flexibility of venue and rehearsal space.
I am hoping that there are 12 to 16 people on Bowen who share the same passion for choral music as I do and would like to be a part of this new island project. To ensure that singers are comfortable in reading music and singing in a small group, I will be hosting auditions – nothing to be afraid of – just five minutes of your time where you can demonstrate your voice range and music reading ability. You can arrange an appointment with me by calling 778-926-4286 or by emailing me at [email protected]. I look forward to hearing from you. Rehearsals are Monday evenings and we start up on September 13 so don’t wait too long to get in touch, spots may fill up.
