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Delta Choral Society cooks up other ideas during pandemic

Delta Choral Society is finding different ways to keep their members active and engaged amid the COVID-19 pandemic
Delta Choral cook book
The society’s Stir Crazy cook book is $20 can be ordered on its website. Delta Choral Society Photo

Delta Choral Society is finding different ways to keep their members active and engaged amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Typically, the non-profit organization would be kicking up their feet right about now, coming off two of their biggest concerts of the year that would feature its four groups: Delta Community Choir, Delta Chamber Choir, Delta Youth Choir and Delta Children’s Choir. Instead, their holiday productions at the South Delta Baptist Church were shelved, like just about everything else in 2020.

“It’s usually so wonderful this time of year,” said member Julie Lymburner. “We would have just had our two concerts and the run up to them is fairly intense. Then we get together and have a wrap party at one of the members’ home.

“We typically spend so much time together. Especially the older people in the choir, this has been a terrible blow, but we continue to try and keep in touch.”

The choirs were preparing for their annual spring concert when the initial lockdown back in March brought everything to a grinding halt. Initially, regular Zoom meetings were held to bring members together and that at least took the society to the end of its season. Casual get-togethers were held at local parks over the summer, but the board realized other projects, away from singing, were needed as the new season loomed in the fall.

That’s when the idea of creating a cookbook that would feature member’s favourite recipes and they even had some fun with the pandemic. It’s been so well received that Stir Crazy is currently on its third printing.

“It’s something we always talked about doing because we share so much food at parties and we know all the good cooks out there,” chuckled Lymburner who volunteered to head the project. “We coined the title ‘Stir Crazy’ because we (were doing just that) going into the fall. Each chapter has a theme like ‘Going Ape’ for appetizers and ‘Sequestered’ for soups and salads. There’s almost 170 recipes.

“Sure Print and Copy in Ladner put it together and bonded it for us. We even have a member who is delivering them locally.”

The society is also holding virtual workshops that will continue through the winter and a monthly e-newsletter has been launched for members to share their own personal news.

“We’re just trying to provide something a little extra to brighten our days,” added Lymburner. “We will keep meeting virtually but, musically, hopefully we are all back together again next fall and by next Christmas we are doing a show.”

The society’s Stir Crazy cook book is $20 can be ordered on its website deltachoral.ca where other membership information can be found.