About Coastal Sound Youth Choir
Coastal Sound Youth Choir has gained an influential reputation in the Canadian choral community for its passionate and imaginative performances. The choir is made up of young people ages 15 to 24, representing municipalities across Metro Vancouver. Conductors Morna Edmundson, Carrie Tennant, Joel Tranquilla and current conductor Will de Sousa have each played critical and formative roles in the shaping and success of this choir over the past 30 years, and it has won numerous national accolades over its history.
Eclectic, heartfelt, creative, and full of the energy and determination of youth, Coastal Sound Youth Choir performances have become a destination for music fans. At the core of the ensemble is a care and respect for the music, which builds powerful connections between singers and listeners.
Under the direction of Will de Sousa, Coastal Sound Youth Choir strives to create opportunities for singers to grow as artists and individuals, and gain a sense of belonging through involvement in a welcoming community. The environment Will and his singers create together is built on empathy, dedication, and authenticity.
Watch Coastal Sound Youth Choir videos here
Artistic Team
Will de Sousa, Conductor
Krista Pederson, Pianist
Learn more about the Artistic Team here.
In Person Rehearsal Schedule
| Choir | Rehearsal |
|---|---|
|
Coastal Sound Youth Choir |
Thursdays, 7:00-9:30 PM |
Rehearsals take place at Evergreen Cultural Centre, 1205 Pinetree Way, Coquitlam
Annual Retreat
Retreat for Coastal Sound Youth Choir is at Timberline Ranch Jan 26 to 28, 2024. Timberline Retreat Fee – $175 due Dec 1
2023-2024 Fees
| Choir | Annual Fees | Monthly Fees (10 months) | Semi-Annual Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Coastal Sound Youth Choir (39+ weeks) |
$725 |
$80 |
$385 |
The fee includes two and half hours of weekly rehearsal with a professional accompanist, and all music.
Additional Costs
- Youth Choir T-Shirt/ Casual Uniform: first t-shirt is provided free of charge, replacements are available for $12
- Coastal Sound logo T-shirt / Casual Uniform: first t-shirt is provided free of charge, replacements are available for $12
- Coastal Sound Jacket with your name embroidered on it: $65 (to be determined if this is required this season)
- Folder (one-time): $45 (or provide your own black choral folder)
- Tour Fees: TBA, subject to tour.
All fees are payable by September 30, 2023 by E-Transfer, Cheque or Credit Card
Formal Uniforms
Singers provide their own black dress clothes, including black dress shoes suitable for standing on risers and choreography. Coastal Sound provides a choice of scarf, tie, suspenders etc. prior to each concert. Casual uniforms require plain denim jeans or khaki pants, runners or boots, along with a Youth Choir or Coastal Sound t-shirt, depending on the event.
Vocal Assessment & Placement Interview Process
First of all, relax! It’s going to be friendly and welcoming! These music placement evaluations are to make sure that singers are placed where they will have the most success in our choirs. We guarantee that you will find the process positive and affirming, whatever your level of experience.
For the Youth Choir, commitment is an essential part of participation. All singers receive a calendar of events for the full year in September, and members will be required to attend all performances, workshops and rehearsals throughout the year.
Here is an outline of our audition process:
- Applicants sing a short a cappella song of their choice (a portion of a song is fine). There is no accompanist at the audition.
- Applicants sight-sing a short, simple musical passage (note: the ability to read music is valued in this ensemble, but not required. This part of the audition will help us to determine where you are in your growth as a musician.)
- Our Artistic Team performs an aural skills evaluation (echo back short melodies)
- Applicants are given a short placement music theory sheet (note naming, basic terminology, key signatures, etc). A poor result on the theory portion will not exclude you from participation in the choir. It is merely in place to help us to determine where you are in your growth as a musician. The youth choir contains singers with a wide variety of experience. In addition to vocal potential, the conductor of the youth choir looks for many things in your audition including a positive attitude, a flexible and open learning style, and a willingness to grow and develop as a musician.
We will be accepting new singers to start in September. We look forward to meeting you!