A few years ago, for the first time in decades, the St. Albert Singers Guild were searching for a new artistic director.

It was a tall order to fill. The Singers have existed in some form or another since 1968—taking their current title in 1985—and their previous artistic director had been in the role for more than 30 years. But one of the Singers’ grandkids mentioned her own school choir conductor, Caroline Crispin, as an option.

A music teacher at Muriel Martin elementary, Crispin hadn’t initially had the singers on her radar. But the more time she spent with the idea, the more it seemed like a good fit.

“It was a joke at first,” Crispin recalls. “Then it became, ‘Well, would you be interested?’ Then it became talks and it became an interview, and I was really incredibly blessed to have been selected as the new lead conductor and artistic director. I just love this group. They're such an incredible group of human beings.”

The Singers hold an indelible role in St. Albert as a welcoming, multi-generational community. Singers of all skill levels are welcome in their ranks, where many voices become unified, lifting communal spirits through the act of singing together.

The St. Albert Singers were co-recipients of the St. Albert Gazette Arts Champion Award at this year’s Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts, in recognition of their community-building work.

In her (relatively) new role within the group, Crispin has spent the first few years focused on getting to know the people. Some of their members have been there for more than 30 years, while others have just joined. Getting to connecting with the choir members, Crispin notes, has been a vital part of her role.

“You have to build those connections,” She says. “You have to work with people and learn about them, and build history to have that feeling of family. It's one thing to work together for a common goal, but finding that true feeling of family and connection takes some time. That's sort of where we're at—we are truly a family.

“We've finished our third full year together, and it's starting to feel seamless.”

An important focus of the Singers is not just staging their own concerts, but sharing their voices with the wider community. Going into residences, seniors homes, churches, and anywhere else that might struggle to access it otherwise is a core goal, Cripsin notes.

“It's a service to the community,” she says. “I really believe that that's what we need to be. If we are getting together to make music because it makes our hearts happy, and it fills a void and a need within our lives, there's lots of people who have that same need but don't have access to it.”

After all, to Crispin, the very act of singing together builds community and connection.

“It's one of the only activities in the world where you actually have to breathe together,” she says. “You come together, you take that breath, and it doesn't matter what's happened in your world, what's going on in your day—you take a deep breath and everything that comes out of your mouth after that point is for the common good of the family, of the group.

“It's so incredible to watch a group of people come into the room all hurried from a day, take a couple of breaths and start to come together,” Crispin continues. “You can see when it hits and it's like, ah, there it is: we are one voice, and we are here for each other and with each other.”

More information about the St. Albert Singers can be found at www.stalbertsingers.org.

Article written by Paul Blinov

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