Onbowen - Music, Ideas and Culture

The Bowen Island Community Choir offered up another spirited and heartfelt choral performance on Saturday, December 12th at Cates Hill Chapel. Director, Ellen MacIntosh was at the helm of a fifty-five voice choir who, with the accompaniment of Sheilagh Sparks, sang jazz, swing, folk, Celtic, sacred and gospel music with gusto and fervor.

Guests Fineen Davis on oboe, Cam Hayduk -- none other than Elvis, Brian Hoover on percussion and choral member Shasta Martinuk on flute, brought additional charm and beauty to the program.

The Community Choir is an open choir and no auditions are required. All are welcome. Rumour has it that the choir is on the lookout for male tenors at this point but of course all singers of both genders and all levels of ability are invited to join. Rehearsals at Cates Hill Chapel begin again on January 11th in preparation for a Spring concert. Please call Choir Manager, Lorraine Ashdown if you have any questions. x2061.

If you wish to view the choral concert, you can either Download the video here [MP4 Video/Audio File - 345.04 MB] ( with Internet Explorer use right-click > save target as, on a Mac use control-click > save link as... ) or you can watch online after the break  

Lisa Shatzky’s recently published collection of poetry honours the First Nations People who have suffered at the hands of the Canadian Government’s Residential School System. She and her friends presented a selection from her book, Do Not Call Me by My Name at The Gallery on Bowen Island.

She worked as a therapist for over 15 years with these people helping them with multi-generational trauma and listened to their stories of terrible loss and grief and was inspired by their resilience and incredible sense of spirit.

Accompanied by a wonderfully sensitive musician, Ruta Yawney on harp and flute, Lisa’s poetry was performed by herself, Don MacLean, Simon James, and Roger Grant to an enthralled audience.

Patrick Lane, a Governor General Award winning poet, has said that: “These are poems of unspeakable bravery. Out of this grieving comes a spiritual renewal and hope for all of us.”

Lisa tells us that: “These are terrible and sad poems, but they are also human and necessary. They speak the unspeakable. But somewhere in the ashes, there is grief that gives life…that transcends.”

If you wish to watch the poetry reading, you can either Download the video here [QuickTime - 188.78 MB] ( with Internet Explorer use right-click > save target as, on a Mac use control-click > save link as... ) or you can watch online after the break  

On May 1st, Jude Neale launched her latest book of verse, Only the Fallen Can See, at The Gallery in Artisan Square. The event began with the tasteful musings of jazz guitarist Teun Schut & jazz drummer/percussionist Buff Allen followed by introductions from Jude Neale's husband, Paul Hoosen and her publisher Ursula Vaira of Leaf Press.

Jude's program included a mixture of readings from her book and a potpourri of songs connected to her work inspired by living life through a bi-polar perspective. Jude presented her work in a style that her fans have come to expect, exuding a gentle honesty coupled with a wry sense of humour, embracing life's unexpected turns.

You can Download the high def video here [QuickTime - 587.99 MB] ( with Internet Explorer use right-click > save target as, on a Mac use control-click > save link as... ) or you can watch online after the break.