June 1, 2026
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The A Cappella Chamber Choir, based in Kincardine and Saugeen Shores, has placed second for community choirs, ages 19 and over, in the Ontario Music Festivals Association's provincial finals.
Director Liz Coates was thrilled with the results which were announced Sunday, following the choir's second performance of its spring concert, "No Place Like Home, on the weekend in Port Elgin. Saturday afternoon, the concert was performed at Kincardine United Church.
The choir submitted two songs, "How Can I Keep from Singing," and "On Monday I Never Go to Work," for the virtual competition.
Adjudicator Robert Colbourne praised the group for its beautiful rendition of both songs.
"This choir has an absolutely gorgeous blend," he said, with respect to the first song. "You sound like an ensemble that has been singing together for many years, with such strong listening skills and ensemble awareness throughout the performance. Your chords were beautifully tuned, and I especially appreciated the strong rhythmic feel in the accompaniment parts.
"The supporting voices sang with exactly the right amount of energy and intensity so that the melody line could still shine through naturally and clearly. That kind of balance is not easy to achieve — bravo!"
As to the second song, he said the choir demonstrated excellent blend and very secure harmony singing throughout. He said this is a piece where the choir could absolutely afford to exaggerate the dynamics and musical contrasts even more.
"Because the song, itself, is silly and full of humour, it is perfectly okay to make bold and playful interpretive choices," he said. "Don’t be afraid to really lean into the comedy and theatricality of the music — the audience will love it!
"What a fantastic choir. Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful performances with me. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to you sing. Bravo to all of you!"
For more information and all the results, visit omfa.ca/festival/virtual-results/choirs/community-choirs.
The A Cappella Chamber Choir rehearses, with director Liz Coates and accompanist Adrian Little
Written ByLiz Dadson is the founder and editor of the Kincardine Record and has been in the news business since 1986.
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