Vancouver’s activist choir uses music to fight for social justice and equality
For over 20 years, Solidarity in Notes has harmonized activism and artistry to inspire change
By TUAN TRAN
Local activist choir hits all the right notes in the fight for social justice.
Solidarity in Notes, created in March 2000 with the support of the Vancouver and District Labour Council, has become a stable presence in the city’s social justice movements. They sing a broad range of old and new activist songs of many genres advocating for human rights, gender equality, immigrant rights, housing justice and more.
“We are a choir of people who believe that song is an important motivating force for people in struggle, trying to make a better world,” said Earle Peach, the choir’s conductor and musical director. “It’s not just for the people for whom we sing, but also for the choir members themselves, to give them an outlet to change the world.”
Peach, a long-time composer and musician, has been the backbone for the choir since its creation. In the fall of 2017, Peach won the City of Vancouver 2017 Mayor’s Arts Award for Community Engagement.
Importance of music for social progress
“I am completely convinced of the power of song and music in any movement fighting for change,” said Peach. “Music has this unique force because there are very few activities that humans do together which are designed to coordinate their emotions.”
Peach said he believes choirs have a vital role to play in activism.
“People give speeches at rallies, and people raise their hands and shake their fists and so on, but that gets pretty boring,” said Peach. “There’s a lot more nuance to a song, and everybody’s combined emotion in harmony has a powerful influence on people’s bodies.”
Choir member’s opinion
Valerie Raoul, a choir member and former director of centre for research in women’s studies and gender relations at UBC, said her reason for singing is both personal and political.
“I first heard the choir on International Women’s Day about 20 years ago singing Bread and Roses,“ Raoul said. “I was amazed to find a choir that was singing songs about women and feminist songs.”
Raoul said she always feels very moved whenever the choir sings Bread and Roses, a labour and feminist anthem symbolizing the fight for both economic security and dignity, on International Women’s Day.
“It’s a reminder of all the past struggles of women,” Raoul said. “Nothing is ever totally gained—you always have to begin over again.”
Raoul said her experience with the choir has been wonderful as it creates a community, especially for retired people who often feel cut off when they lose their workplace connections.
“Music is a very healing activity,” Raoul said. ”When you sing in harmony with other people, it’s something that can give you hope when everything else seems so disharmonic.”