Last Saturday morning, about 90 people gathered in the church gym for the first rehearsal of the new Healing Voices choir. And, for many of us who were there, it was a memorable day. This group was established by our own Kelly Galbraith for those whose lives have been touched by cancer – be as a patient, caregiver or family
member. Kelly came up with the idea in the fall as she was finishing her own series of treatments (“I woke up one morning and thought, ‘I’m supposed to start this choir,’” she says) and the St. Mark’s Board unanimously agreed to sponsor this initiative so that people could participate free of charge.

The response has been overwhelming, and the choir is obviously meeting a real human need – to gather with others who’ve faced, or are facing, similar challenges – and to experience the joys and benefits that come from making music. As Kelly put it in a recent interview with CBC, “when you sing in a choir, your heartbeats line up, you breathe deeper… you have to listen to each other… it creates a bond… and it allows you to let go and let the music wash over you.” The songs that the choir is singing reflect that theme, including Bridge Over Troubled Water, Lean on Me, and That’s What Friends Are For.

A fundraising concert will be held on Sunday February 15 at the church,
with all proceeds going to the Horizon Health Network’s Stay Strong Program.

I am proud to serve a congregation that so willingly supports initiatives such as this. And the great “55+” programming that Debbie McLeod has been putting into place is another important way that we at St. Mark’s are contributing to the physical, mental, social and spiritual well-being of those in the wider community. Serving, caring and helping is basic to the Christian calling, and I pray that the Spirit will continue to lead and inspire us to continue such work in the weeks and months to come.