These guys know how to hit the notes

These guys know how to hit the notes
Here and Now column by Dan Hilborn, Burnaby Now assistant editor
Published March 23, 2003

Terrific things are happening for the 46-voice, all-male Chor Leoni, which won virtually every award possible during the 2002 CBC Radio national competition for amateur choirs.
The group, which features five singers from Burnaby, has been chosen to represent Canada at the European Broadcasting Union's Let the People Sing choral competition this fall.
"What does this really mean for Chor Leoni? One could say we have won Canada's Triple Crown and are now on our way to the final game of the Choral World Series," said choir founder and director Dianne Loomer.
The choir will travel to London where it will compete against three European choirs in a 'live-to-air' international television broadcast during the competition finals, taking place Oct. 12 at the Queen Elizabeth Hall of London's South Bank Arts Centre.
At the competition, it will compete against the KammerChor Saarbrucken of Germany, The Copenhagen Chamber Choir Camerat and Grex Vocalis of Norway.
Last fall, the choir won in the Equal Voices and Contemporary categories at the CBC competition, and it also picked up a special prize for the best performance of a Canadian work.
This excellent choir also has deep Burnaby roots.
It's original rehearsal space was at Emmaus Lutheran Church on Sperling Avenue before moving briefly to Grace Lutheran Church on the north side of town at the behest of choir member, former church pastor and Burnaby resident Rev. Cliff Reinhardt, who sings with the first tenors.
Other local members of the group include tenors Ryan Kett and Jim Knight, baritone Les Nerling and bass Peter Rolloff.
Chor Leoni's next performance will be Ikon of Light with the Elektra Women's Choir and Christ Church Cathedral Choir on Saturday, May 3, 8 p.m., at Holy Rosary Cathedral in Vancouver. Tickets are $22 and $18 from Ticketmaster at 604-280-3311.

Comedy on the boards?

Burnaby resident Will Davis will face off against some of the toughest comedic talent in the country when Comedy Night in Canada comes to the Centennial Theatre in North Vancouver on Monday.
The show features hockey legend Howie Meeker providing colour commentary as six comedians run through a program of three periods, overtime, and segments made to imitate the Satellite Hotstove and Coach's Corner features.
Davis was instrumental in setting up Comedy Night In Canada, which is being taped live for CBC Television and CBC radio and will air nation-wide around the time of this year's Stanley Cup playoffs.
And he's not just a comedian. Davis is also the creator, producer and one of the lead writers for the production.
Tickets to Comedy Night in Canada are $22 and are available through the Centennial Theatre box office at 604-984-4484.

A job well done

Kudos to Burnaby realtor Howe Y. Lee of ReMax Central, who was recently honoured with a Realtor Care Award by the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver.
Lee was one of seven realtors from around the Lower Mainland to be honoured for their volunteer work fundraising and helping out worthwhile causes in their communities.
Lee has devoted many hours and much energy to improving Vancouver's downtown eastside and Chinatown neighbourhoods in addition to his work with local youth and cadet groups.
The award was presented during a March 7 recognition dinner at the Pan Pacific Hotel.

A travelling writer

Former Burnaby resident and Surrey NOW reporter Doug Alexander, is making quite a name for himself in the tough business of freelance journalism.
The former UBC student and Langara journalism graduate was a recent recipient of the Water Media Network (World Bank) award for his story 'Just Add Water' that ran in the Feb. 2002 issue of Geographical.
Now based in London, England, Alexander is a past recipient of the International Development Research Centre's Gemini internship award that placed him with the news agency’s offices in Britain and Egypt.
A confirmed world traveller, his resume boasts a long list of journalism awards over the years, including second place in the 1997 Canadian Community Newspaper Association historical writing category and first place in the 1997 Suburban Newspaper of America election coverage category.
Alexander was scheduled to fly back into town this weekend to visit with his friends and family before heading off to become the only Canadian among 30 international journalists invited to attend the World Water Forum in Kyoto, Japan.

Scholarship winner

Burnaby resident Yong Mei Liu, a computer information student at Douglas college was recently presented with the Hewlett-Packard scholarship, in recognition of her academic achievement and contributions to the college community.
The award was announced by the Douglas College Foundation earlier this month.