About Us
The Maple Ridge Chorus is the oldest and largest secular community choir for adults in Maple Ridge. Founded in 1933 as the Maple Ridge Choral Society (MRCS), we are an inclusive organization that reflects the diversity of Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, and adjacent municipalities. Although we still officially operate as the MRCS, we now promote our choir as the Maple Ridge Chorus.
The Chorus sings in four-part harmony: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass (SATB). The 50 members of our mixed choir range widely in age, but we have one thing in common—we love to sing! We enjoy singing an eclectic mix of music: popular, show tunes, Christmas, folk, sacred, classical, and more.
We’re always looking for new members. For more about membership, see: Contact Us
The Choral Society is a member of the BC Choral Federation and is proud to be an active participant in the local arts community.
Singers automatically become part of the MRCS, a non-profit society registered under the Societies Act (B.C.). An elected Board of Directors meets monthly to govern the MRCS. We hold an annual general meeting at the end of our spring season, a week or so after our annual spring concert.
Support the choir by making a donation
Send an e-transfer to treasurer@lovetosing.net and then send a follow up email to ensure we have your information for a tax receipt. Or, send a cheque to:
Maple Ridge Choral Society
PO Box 53,
Maple Ridge BC V2X 0A0
Our Board
Listed below are the Directors of the MRCS Board for 2023-2024:
- Thyra Gillese, President
- Loraine Anchor, Vice-President
- Kristi Hines, Secretary
- Kingsley Hortin, Treasurer
- Peggy Rogers, Past President
- Shirley Jones, Music Librarian
- Virginia Kuran, Concert Chair
- Kirk Brown, Historian
- Jancis O’Mara, Soprano Section Representative
- Susan Pichugin, Alto Section Representative
- Jean O’Brien, Tenor & Bass Section Representative
- Frank Zieginson, Music Director
Mission
The Maple Ridge Choral Society is a community choir dedicated to enhancing the quality of life of its members, the people of Maple Ridge and surrounding communities by presenting the best of choral music spanning the centuries. The Maple Ridge Choral Society aims to provide the highest degree of excellence possible.
The Maple Ridge Choral Society is committed to:
- Providing a vehicle for the community at large to participate in and experience choral singing;
- Fostering an appreciation of choral singing among the public;
- Maintaining a high standard of performance and promoting the continuing growth and development of the MRCS;
- Promoting and enjoying artistic, musical and cultural values;
- Entertaining the public at large;
- Participating with other choirs in combined concerts, tours and other choral music oriented activities;
- Operating as a non-profit organization.
Direction
Frank Zieginson
Choral Director
Canadian pianist Frank Zieginson is sought after as both performer and music educator, currently making his home in Vancouver, BC. Since coming to the piano at the age of eighteen, Frank has established himself as a dynamic and versatile artist, known for his creative programming of repertoire be it for solo piano, art song, chamber music, or choral music. He has been described as “a highly gifted pianist who has a real sense of collaboration with other instrumentalists and singers” and was “easily the most outstanding pianist of the six pianists selected.”
Stemming from his passion for chamber music and art song, Frank formed Songscape Duo with American mezzo-soprano, Madeline Miskie-Jaeger in August of 2014. Frank is also the founding member of the Ricordanza Trio and the Founding and Artistic Director of the Ricordanza Summer Chamber Music Festival (Victoria, Canada). In addition to his work as a musician and educator, Frank is also the Minister of Music at Lynn Valley United
Church, North Vancouver, Artistic Director of Lynn Valley Voices and The Rainbow Chorus of New Westminster. He holds several degrees in in music, including a Master of Music: Collaborative Piano (University of Maryland), Master of Music: Solo Performance (Brandon University), Bachelor of Music: Piano Performance (University of Lethbridge) and a Performance Diploma (Red Deer College).
James Dekker
Accompanist
James Dekker is a talented multi-instrumentalist who enjoys performing and accompanying in many musical styles. He currently holds the accompanist position with the Maple Ridge Chorus and the Rainbow Chorus of New Westminster. A proud graduate of Capilano University’s Jazz Studies Program, he has had the opportunity of working with musicians such as Dee Daniels, Donny McCaslin, and many more.
James has been interested in music all his life, starting to play piano not long after learning to walk. Recently, he has enjoyed performing and recording with groups such as the Jamie Lee Trio (a modern jazz/fusion group) and Big Madge (a ska/punk band formed with fellow Capilano graduates). When he isn’t playing music, James can often be found rock climbing or playing board games with friends.
Long-time MRCS member Gloria Morrisette wrote this article that was published on December 9, 2005 in the Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows Times. Gloria passed away peacefully at Baillie House in Maple Ridge on May 13, 2013, at the age of 104.
Looking Back: the Maple Ridge Choral Society
by Gloria Morrisette
It is believed the Maple Ridge Choral Society is the oldest one in the district. The Choir is made up of members of the Maple Ridge Community. Records show it became active in 1933 by a group of residents who loved to sing choral music. It was reported in the Gazette of November 2, 1933 that the Choir would hold its first concert on November 8 under the direction of J.P. Nelson in the United Church Hall in Hammond. The price of admission was only 25 cents.
It was also reported that three guest artists from Vancouver contributed solos to the program. They were Miss Nan Stewart and Masters Jack Fraser and Glen Nelson. It was also written: “the choral society has a very definite place in the life of a community”. Val Patenaude, curator of the Maple Ridge Museum provided the above information. On December 17, 1948, the Anglican Players of Maple Ridge and the choral society presented a joint program featuring a nativity play, “For Unto Us” with choral music. Admission was 50 cents.
George Sheldrake was one of the group’s first leaders. He was a talented musician who also led a brass band that we sang with while under his direction. Mr. Sheldrake was an employee of the Gazette. We soon had a membership of 100 singers and as we developed and put on concerts, they were well received by our audiences.
One of our earlier leaders was Monrad Malmin, who was also a talented orchestral director. While singing under his direction, we were accompanied by a large string orchestra.
From the beginning, our aim has always been to give pleasure to our members and audiences by singing a variety of music, including band, classical, spiritual, sacred and folk. We always put on several concerts a year. We carried on like that for eight years, but the day came when we were not able to obtain a director so the choir was disbanded for “the time being” much to our disappointment. The “time being” turned out to be twenty years.
Then, in 1984, the choir was revived under the leadership of Robin Williams, by a group of residents who loved singing choral music. I was a member of that group and I am the only one of them still with the choral society. Over the many years since then, we have had a variety of leaders, including, Sally Novinger, Terry Pitt-Brooke, Susan James, Jody Dahle, Fiona Blackburn, Joel Scmidt and Carry Tenant. Today (2005), we have 40 members and our pianist is Marlin Hall, who has been with us for many years. Our conductor is Judith Bergthorson.