Mishall RehmanThe newly formed Greenwood Military Wives Choir (MWC) is currently laying down the groundwork for its fall start and is welcoming any military wives in the area wishing to join.
“I believe the MWC are important because they function as an instant support network for women in the military community. It’s a great way to meet other military ladies and participate in something that is ‘theirs.’ As more and more choirs get established on bases across Canada, women have a guaranteed way to integrate into their new communities,” said Darcy Gaudette, President, Canadian MWC Greenwood.
The MWC Greenwood is an initiative of Gaudette, who was a founding member of the Comox MWC.
“My first choir rehearsal in Comox took place a week after my then-fiancé deployed and I was looking for support in the local military community, which I had not been a big part of up until that point. I had been involved with choirs and musical theatre for most of my life, and the choir seemed like a great fit to combine my interests and desire to learn more about this new military adventure I was about to embark on,” recalled Gaudette.
Driven by the warm experiences of her Comox MWC, Gaudette decided to share the experience with her new community in Greenwood, where her and her husband were posted last fall.
“My Comox choir sisters were a wonderful support to me, and I had so much fun with the choir that I wanted to share that with my new community. My hope is that members find the choir to be a fun and meaningful way to be involved in military life on their own terms, and also that they have an established support network as they move from base to base,” added Gaudette.
The Greenwood MWC Executive Committee was formed in November 2015 and started initial planning. Currently, the MWC Greenwood consists of four committee members and the choir is generating interest on Facebook with 33 potential singers.
The Executive Committee hopes to start rehearsals in the fall in aims of participating in local Remembrance Day ceremonies. Gaudette also hopes they can also take part in the base’s annual Christmas concert.
Military spouses in the Greenwood area, or moving to Greenwood this summer and wishing to join the Military Wives Choir can either request to join their Facebook group or email organizers at [email protected].
