In-Person Song Circle, March 2nd!

Important Announcement: We are holding an in-person song circle on March 2nd — Let’s Sing Together!

In light of the recent relaxation of some of BC’s COVID-19 public health orders, the VFSS Board of Directors has voted to proceed with a plan we have been working on for several months now.

On March 2nd, we plan to hold an in-person Folk night at the Quaker Hall (Friends’ Meeting House, 1090 W. 70th Ave., Vancouver, BC), as a one-off test before deciding on further in-person gatherings. There will be no online song circle on March 2nd. We will be back online for March 16.

The March 2nd event will be in compliance with all BC public health orders that remain in place*, which means:

• Proof of vaccination (QR code) and government-issued photo ID will be required and checked at the door.

• Masks must be worn at all times while indoors, except when leading a song.  Those joining in on a chorus will need to stay masked.

As a further precaution, we will be limiting the event to 25 people, which is roughly 50% of the normal seated capacity of the Hall, and will require pre-registration. To register to attend, please send an email to VFSS@shaw.ca.

The evening will proceed like a song circle, with people taking it in turn to lead a song. However, there will be no physical circle, but rather stage/theatre type seating, as we would do on an open-stage/features evening. People will come to the front of the hall to lead a song. The theme for the evening will be Let’s sing together!, so everyone is encouraged to choose chorus or singalong songs.

Doors open at 7:00 pm and singing starts at 7:30. There will be a 15-minute break at 8:30, during which all the doors and windows will be opened to ventilate the hall. Tea and cookies will not be served downstairs during the break; you are welcome to bring your own drinks and snacks for consumption outside during the break. We will wrap up at about 9:45.

For those who would not (yet) be comfortable attending an in-person gathering or who live outside the Greater Vancouver area, please know that we will continue to hold regular online song circles for at least the next few months.  If response to the March 2nd in-person event is positive, we may go to one in-person and one online event each month for a while, before deciding on a long-term plan.

If you have any questions, feel free to email them to VFSS@shaw.ca.

Steve Deering
for the VFSS Board

* The applicable Public Health Officer Orders for this event cover Gatherings and Events and Face Coverings. In those documents, you can find details of acceptable proof of vaccination or exemption, including for out-of-province attendees, and the rules around masking. Given the risks of COVID-19 transmission from singing in particular, we recommend well-fitting N95-class masks, and certainly not just single-layer fabrics such as scarves, bandanas, or neck gaiters.