Choir Offers a Respite from Cancer

Coquitlam, BC, Canada – A new choir of courage shares more
than melodious music.

The story behind the songs is composed of one common note:
cancer. All members of the Songcology choir are currently battling
cancer or are survivors of the illness.

But when they arrive at their weekly Wednesday practices, they
leave their disease at the door.

Founder Margaret Short said the choir provides a place for
people to temporarily forget their plight.

“The whole focus of the choir was to make us all feel better, to
help us to put cancer aside for an hour and a half and concentrate
on our voices and singing and having fun and just enjoying being
alive,” she said. “Forget about the chemotherapy and the radiation
and the nausea, the hair loss, all of that.”

Short was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma three years ago,
soon after her husband, Larry Wozney, discovered he had kidney
cancer.

“We were both on chemo at one time. I’d be coming out of the
hospital; he’d be going in. It was really kind of interesting. But
we have survived all of that so far. We’ll just keep going, doing
what we have to do,” Short said.

“I’m still on chemo … They’ve been testing me for lymphoma now
going on to the third year. My husband has terminal cancer. They’ve
kept him alive for three years. He’s going into his fourth year,
but it has spread.”

To take their thoughts off their struggles, the Coquitlam couple
came up with the concept for Songcology after hearing about a
similar choir in another community. Short mentioned the idea to her
friend, musician Diane Lines, who was quick to offer her talents as
an accompanist. Music educator Carol Sirianni stepped up as the
choir’s conductor.