Concert with the Vancouver Welsh Men’s Choir

Here we are warming up --up can see the risers where the choir will stand

Concert with the Vancouver Welsh Men’s Choir

by Lori Pappajohn

If you’d visited the dressing rooms prior to our concert with the Vancouver Welsh Men’s Choir in New Westminster Dec. 4, you would have seen something a bit different -- a massage table.

Our harpist Janelle needed some delicate neck work, so our registered massage therapist Annette Johnston was working her magic. Annette is an amazing healer and over the years has helped many a Winter Harp performer who has been ill. A number of years ago one performer was so ill she almost fainted. But after Annette worked on her for 20 minutes she was energized enough to play the concert.

Annette was the official masseuse of a famous American rock band. She toured with them on their bus through the US. And once, when they were in Europe, they were so desperate for her that they gave her one day’s notice to get on a plane -- and they flew her first class all the way to Germany.

Annette Johnston works out of the Sixth Street Wellness Clinic in Burnaby. So if you are looking for an excellent registered massage therapist -- she’s your gal. (By the way, the two chiropractors she shares the clinic with work on some of North America’s top hockey players and Olympic athletes.)

But back to the concert. We had so much fun performing with the Vancouver Welsh Men’s Choir. There’s nothing like playing your harp right in front of 80 men singing their hearts out. And such power. You should have heard them on our fun song Christmas Comes But Once a Year. The Irish song urges one to put their cares aside on Christmas and eat, drink and be merry -- for Christmas comes but once a year.

I must say that song was particularly jolly with all those men singing the fun verses such as: “Pass the goose around the table; now is the time to spread good cheer. Put all cares for tomorrow; Christmas comes but once a year.”

The concert with the choir always seems to fly by. Before we knew it, it was over and we were saying our good-byes to the 80 men -- that takes a while! Every singer deserves a hug!

About 1/2 the choir is in this photo.

There were close to 1,000 people at the concert, which pretty much packed the theatre out. There was even a couple of people who came over from Vancouver Island especially for this concert. And they plan to see Winter Harp again when it goes to Nanaimo!