Rainbow Chorus of Waterloo-Wellington

About Us

"It has been a special treat to have the Rainbow Chorus perform at the Guelph Chamber Choir's yearly Songfests in June. The choir brings a freshness and zestiness to their performances that always enhance the Songfest concerts. I'm impressed with the fact that they perform from memory. This gives them a directness in communicating with the audience that listeners really enjoy. The Rainbow Chorus and their conductor, Robert Miller, have become a very important part of the choral scene in Guelph."

Dr. Gerald Neufeld, Conductor Guelph Chamber Choir

Registered Charity
# 877194761RR0001

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Our Name

Rainbow Chorus, the Waterloo Wellington Chorus of Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals and Friends (referred to as "Rainbow Chorus")

OUR MISSION

Rainbow Chorus is composed of mutually supportive people who have joined together for the purpose of the performance of the choral arts including a diverse repertoire.

OBJECTIVES

To promote excellence in the study and practice of the choral arts for all members of our community
To educate and increase the public's awareness and appreciation of music and of the talents of members of our community through the study and public performance of a diverse repertoire
To educate and bring appreciation of music to members of the public who may not have access to musical performances
To engage in activities which are ancillary and incidental to the above objects

OUR HISTORY

Formed by four friends in November 1994
Performance debut at AIDS Walk, Spring 1995
Community Performances:
- Annual Hate Crimes Vigil at University of Guelph
- World AIDS Day vigils in Hamilton, Guelph & Kitchener
- Services at Guelph & Waterloo Unitarian Fellowships, Harcourt United (Guelph), Parkminster United (Waterloo) and St. James Anglican (Dundas)
- Songfests with the Guelph Chamber Choir at the River Run Centre
  Pride concerts in Kitchener, Guelph, Hamilton and London
Two concerts per season
Proud to have obtained charitable status in 2000 and incorporation in 2005
Canadian GALA debut, Toronto, June 2002
International GALA debut in Montreal July 2004
Carnegie Hall, New York. February 19, 2006
Canadian Unison, Winnipeg 2010

OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Jon Dobbin - Chair
Michael Strickland - Vice-Chair
Bryan Street - Treasurer
Jaye Crawford - Secretary
Greg Beneteau - Director
Julia Jamieson-Hanes
Bonnie Lesky - Director
Leah Sprague - Director

Robert Miller has been the Artistic Director of the Rainbow Chorus since the fall of 2000. Robert has been a musician from his childhood, He studied music at the University of Guelph and for a number of years was the Music Director at Harcourt Memorial United Church. He left Guelph to expand his musical career in Toronto at the Metropolitan United Church and in Copenhagen studying organ and conducting Homofon Kor.
The Chorus has grown tremendously under Bob’s baton; his leadership has taken us to Toronto, Montreal and Carnegie Hall, New York.

After graduate studies at the University of Western Ontario, where she studied with Ronald Turini, Alison MacNeill returned to Guelph, where she maintains a thriving music studio.

Since 1988, she has held the position of Music Director at Harcourt Memorial United Church where she manages a vibrant program of choirs and instrumentalists. Alison has accompanied the Guelph Chamber Choir and appears on their two latest CDs. She spent several years as an accompanist to the University of Guelph Choir, the Guelph Youth Singers (appearing on its CD), the Elora Festival Choir, as well as numerous freelance engagements.