Established in 1992, the Edmonton Vocal Minority (EVM) was one of the first queer chorus lines to break-out of the tradition of being men only. It was originally called simply the Vocal Minority, started by Michael Phair and conducted by Ed Connell and John Valleue. It was mostly a men’s choir but it did have a few women in its early days. They never placed any restrictions on who could join the choir, and so they definitely uphold the ‘minority’ in their name.
“Our youngest member is seventeen,” I was told by Lance Anderson, President of EVM. He went on to explain that they have several members under the age of twenty and that the group includes anyone and everyone, straight, gay, trans-identified or disabled. According to their history this has been the long-standing practice of EVM and is probably one of the key reasons they are able to do the work they do. Their inclusive atmosphere has nurtured many passionate artists and helped them find a sense of community. Through brilliant networking they have connected and worked with many prominent people and organizations, including but not limited to Folk Singer Kat Danser, The Derivative Duo of Seattle, the CHICKAdivas, and the Out Is In Project. They hold several prominent fundraising and supportive events that have helped the Edmonton Women’s Shelter, the Annual AIDS Memorial Service, the Pride Awards, and the Mennonite Centre for Newcomers. This is all in addition to the concerts they hold in June for Pride, December for Christmas, and February as a mid-winter celebration that prominently features and supports Out Is In. To ensure that no one misses out on their fabulous production the EVM includes a low-income ticket price to all their functions.
Clearly this is a group of dedicated and motivated individuals. They commit to a three hour practice once a week from the beginning of their season in September, right through until June. According to Kirk Kryvenchuk, general manager and group historian, the key to their success has been a strong administration. “This has enabled the choir to increase its funding base and expand its programming and offerings to its singers,” he explained in a brief but informative e-mail. They now have a singer’s retreat every Fall and plans are in the works to include out of town tours once every two years. The organization itself provides a strong sense of leadership to the group, which means that it’s stability is never resting on the shoulders of just one person. Indeed this is something to be proud of, and Kryvenchuk attributes this to one of their greatest accomplishments. In 1998 they initiated a Canada-wide gathering of Queer choirs that has since become an ongoing event every four years. “The second festival was in Toronto in 2002 and the most recent festival was this past May in Vancouver,” Kryvenchuk explains, “The festival was the idea of out then conductor, David Garber, and really solidified the organization.” The festival gave them their strong financial foundation and secured their effective administrative procedures. It was the turning point for EVM that made it what it is today: an inclusive, proud, community oriented organization that offers support to anyone, regardless of orientation, ethnicity, religion, ability or age.

The Edmonton Vocal Minority presents
Make We Merry
Unitarian Church of Edmonton (10804 119 Street)
Mon., December 18th at 7:00pm
(780) 479-2038
Free Admission – Donations are Welcome
www.evmchoir.com