History
The Quarantones Male Chorus was founded by Kevin Marquette and Bob Udell in the spring of 2020, at the beginning of the first COVID -19 lockdown (thus the name). The inspiration for the group came from a 2017 workshop quartet. We began rehearsing in Bob’s backyard.
Original Quartet - Greg Cousineau, Bob Udell, Bob Rennie, and Kevin Marquette
We had to be socially distanced and that was achieved by singing outdoors. After a few rehearsals we soon realized it was going to be a challenge for 4 Bass / Baritones to sing 4-part harmony, as we were taking turns singing the tenor parts in our falsetto ranges. Bob U. then suggested we might want to expand to an octet and hopefully attract some real tenors to join us, so he contacted choristers we had sung with in other choirs and invited them to join . Becoming an octet gave us more flexibility as we were able to carry on rehearsing even if one member was away in any of the sections, and also gave us a fuller sound. It soon became apparent that we were going to need a director to move us forward, and so that Bob U. could focus on singing. We were very pleased when Denise Marquette - a highly regarded director in the Comox Valley - agreed to join us. Denise would pound out parts for our a capella pieces and conduct us on others. We were very fortunate to then recruit Kelly Thomas to be our collaborative pianist, allowing Denise to focus on directing.
K. Marquette, B. Udell, R. Rennie, T. Doylend W. Jordan, D. Fast, G. Schoenberg, G. Cousineau
Initial Expansion to an Octet
As the summer of 2020 wound down we were going to need an indoor space to rehearse. Fortunately, the Weird Church in Cumberland was only a few blocks from Bob’s place, and so we moved there and resumed singing in a well-ventilated space with plenty of room to spread out. Wearing masks and maintaining social distancing made hearing one another difficult, so we brought in mics and a sound system, which made a big difference.” Voicings had not stabilized yet with tenor still being a challenge. In fall 2020, with COVID worsening, we had to suspend in-person singing and moved to an online format. Fortunately a new virtual singing platform called EVC (Easy Virtual Choir) had recently been developed, and so with the help of Jean Sarrazin we jumped in with both feet and created some quality virtual song projects, including “Do Not Fear the Wind” and “Flight Song”. In spring 2021 we returned to in-person rehearsals and began preparing for a summer performance at Anderton Gardens, with a focus on sea shanties. We were pleased to have Jean Sarrazin and his assistant Garrick Bradshaw as sound techs for the show, as they did a fabulous job. The show was a sellout, and we were able to make a sizable donation to the Comox Valley Children’s Choir.
Sea Shanty Show - Aug. 2021
In September 2021 rehearsals resumed in the Weird Church, as we worked on a more challenging and robust repertoire in preparation for a winter concert of mixed genres. With the popularity and the buzz surrounding the sea shanty concert, requests for appearances began to roll in. As of 2026 the Quarantones perform two concert series per year at various venues around the North Island. We have also performed in local festivals such as the Filberg Festival and Nautical Days, as well as benefit concerts - Choral Musaic and Telethon.
Wade in the Water Concert -2023
The group is now an auditioned chorus and we currently have 10 members. We sing a diverse repertoire, including sea shanties, classical, barbershop, and modern choral works, among others. We are located in the beautiful Comox Valley, on Vancouver Island. We currently perform around the Comox Valley and North Island region, and are often asked to be guest performers with other choral groups.
See CONCERT/TICKETS tab for upcoming performance dates.
We are situated in the North Island community of the Comox Valley