After a dozen years of celebrating the city’s 43,000 ornamental cherry trees with hundreds of community events and performances, the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival now has an official song.
“Cherry Blossoms For You & Me” was written by Juno award-winning artist Tom Landa and Robin Layne.
To celebrate the festival is inviting singers from across the Lower Mainland to be a part of its first public performance at a special event, Vancouver Sings one Song, at Christ Church Cathedral on April 3.
More than 300 singers from more than 30 choirs have already signed up to sing at the event, which will be co-presented by the Canadian Music Centre and led by choral director Kathryn Nicholson and her vocal ensemble Sound Electric. Nicholson will teach four songs that will be sung in unison to welcome the arrival of the cherry blossoms to the Lower Mainland — “Cherry Blossoms For You & Me”, Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy,” the Navajo chant “Now I walk in Beauty” and Japanese folk song “Sakura Sakura.”
The event is open to amateur and professional singers, choirs, children, families and anyone who enjoys singing. The first 400 participants will receive a free Vancouver Sings One Song T-shirt.
The deadline to register is Feb. 28. Visit www.vcbf.ca/community-event/vancouver-sings-one-song for additional information and sheet music.
The Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival is also planning several other events:
- Cherry Jam Downtown Concert – April 5 at noon at the Burrard SkyTrain Station
- Sakura Days Japan Fair – April 14 and 15 at VanDusen Botanical Garden
- The Big Picnic – date TBD at Queen Elizabeth Park
