ENSEMBLES 2017

Johnston Heights Secondary School Choir

The Johnston Heights Senior Choir is a non-auditioned choir, open to any student with a desire to sing & learn. This choir began in 2008 with 18 students, 17 girls and 1 boy.  Johnston Heights is a High School of 1384 students with over 500 students in the music program. Today the senior choir is comprised of more than 120 members of whom 45% are boys. In 2010 the Senior Choir was invited to compete in the national “Music Fest Canada”, held in Ottawa, Canada’s capital, and earned a silver+ placing. In 2012 the Senior Choir won the first of a series of gold medals at the Fraser Valley Kiwanis Festival in Langley B.C. & has garnered numerous other festival prizes. Such was the success of the program that an auditioned Chamber Choir was created in 2012 and is in its fifth year. We have received great reviews from adjudicators for our willingness to tackle very difficult repertoire, always striving for the highest musical standards, & all the while introducing our singers to a world of great music. The choral program as a whole is comprised of four choirs with a combined enrollment of 300+ students. Our philosophy is to serve the music and to love what we do.

We sing for the joy of singing and most of our students enter our program with little or no previous vocal or musical experience. As an Inner City High School the achievements of these groups are phenomenal and each year they challenge themselves to improve. Fundraising is an integral part of our experience in this program and we all work together to support each other’s aspirations. We are absolutely thrilled to be back in Vienna and grateful that another group of students can experience this life changing opportunity.

Alan J. Holmes

Conductor

Alan Holmes started teaching at Johnston Heights in 2006 and as of this fall 2016 is very happy to welcome Mr. Jason Hawkins as the director of the Junior Bands and choirs. In the fall of 2008 Mr. Holmes took on the choral program which consisted of a Senior Choir with 17 members;  today it is a full time stand-alone choral program consisting of 320 students with a ratio of almost 50% boys. In terms of choral history in the district of Surrey the Johnston Heights Choral Department is the largest Choral department in the history of the Surrey School District.

Mr. Holmes received his BMus (with a major in clarinet) & Teaching Degrees from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. He has undertaken further studies in conducting & singing. He has also sung in several choirs in the Metro-Vancouver area.

Alan is, at the very least, passionate about music and the choral art form. From his very first day teaching choir at JH, he encouraged students to reach for their very best. He is a talented & energetic conductor & leader, engendering great loyalty in his students & famous for pushing them to expect excellence. The motto for this year which is written on the whiteboard in the choir room is “Risk so you can Thrive”.... in all aspects, challenging limits & risking ourselves emotionally, intellectually and spiritually.

In his words: "In terms of my career there is nothing else I would rather be doing than working with these awesome and talented young people! The emotions are real and nothing is held back in our quest for deep personal and group expression. In the end it is all about the group and what we all bring to our audiences, choir members & conductor.  We cherish this very special time in our music program, the relationships we have made and we all will remember just what a special and lucky time these past few years have been. We are more than excited as we prepare for & anticipate our trip to Europe this year."

SCL Artistic Program

Competition Program

Additional Concerts Program