The joy of belonging… to a choral family

Janet with the St. Kitts National Choir

Being a choir member has been an integral part of soprano Janet Leader’s life since she was seven. Although the choir at the Anglican church in Campbellton, New Brunswick didn’t officially accept choristers until they were eight, Janet begged her father to talk to the choir’s director. It paid off, as she passed her first-ever singing audition, and spent the next five years acquiring a wealth of choral knowledge from the professionally trained English director.

After she turned 12, her family moved several times within Atlantic Canada. During that time, she sang in the choirs of four high schools before joining yet another choir when she attended the University of New Brunswick.

In 1975, Janet moved to the Caribbean island of St. Kitts with her then husband (who was from the island). After 20 years of immersion in family and island life, Janet attended a magnificent concert of a local college choir and was sufficiently inspired to approach its director and beg to join! Officially the choir was only for students and teachers; however, when he saw her disappointment, he suggested she join their weekly practice.

“A few weeks later, the choir director asked me if I had a white blouse and a dark skirt. Well, yes, I did! So, he told me I could sing with the choir at its next concert.”

Eventually, the director formed the St Christopher Choral Society Choir, and Janet has been singing with them ever since, going with the flow through changes in leadership and numbers (it peaked at around 50 choristers).

In 2005, Janet decided to start life anew in Canada, at the age of 53. “I moved in with my aunt at Yonge and Davisville. She knew I liked to sing and gave me a booklet that listed all the choirs in Toronto. The first thing I did was look for any that did not require an audition, and the first one I spotted was Upper Canada Choristers! It was when they were practicing at the Salvation Army near Yonge and Eglinton, which meant that I could walk up there.”

On a balmy June evening, Janet strolled up to introduce herself. As UCC was about to take its regular summer break, she was invited to its annual barbecue – and then spent the next year singing with them very happily.

“But life changed again! My daughter in St Kitts decided to study at George Brown College, so I went back to look after my son-in-law and my two grandchildren (who by then were living in my house).”

Since then, Janet has split her time between Toronto and St Kitts, where she rejoined the St Christopher Choral Society Choir.

Janet with her daughter and son in-law

Not surprisingly, Janet spends most winters in St. Kitts and continues to sing with her beloved choir there, despite its dwindling numbers. A recent choral highlight was singing with the St. Kitts National Choir at its 40th anniversary last September, which she enjoyed immensely.

One of the reasons Janet likes to sing in a choir, including most particularly Upper Canada Choristers, is the difference it has made to her sense of well-being:

 “When I moved back to Canada in 2005, I was struggling with clinical depression. Over the years I’ve always found that being in a choir during the most difficult times has really helped. It’s so important for your mental health and sense of community.”

Finding Upper Canada Choristers was a game-changer for her. The support she received at that time made a tremendous difference – to the extent that not only did she rejoin the choir in September 2022, but she continues to attend our weekly rehearsals, via Zoom, whenever she is back in St. Kitts.

UCC is as delighted to welcome her back, as she is to be back!