Here Comes the River reflects the Vancouver Youth Choir‘s adventurous approach to contemporary choral music, bringing together new Canadian works, music from diverse cultural traditions, and inventive choral arrangements of indie and alternative songs. Featuring music by Alex Vollant, Katerina Gimon, Emile Deedes-Vincke, Kathleen Skinner, Patrick Watson, and others, the album moves between intimate storytelling, bold rhythmic writing, and richly layered vocal textures. The repertoire reflects a commitment to championing Canadian composers and arrangers while exploring the breadth of what choral music can be.
The album features VYC-commissioned works including Auass, featuring the powerful presence of Innu composer and soloist Alex Vollant, and the quietly beautiful I Sit Before Flowers, alongside the driving mania of Quizassa. Together, these works capture an ensemble equally comfortable with vulnerability and exuberance. Moving between tenderness, urgency, stillness, and joy, these young singers bring curiosity, honesty, and a distinctive musical voice to every piece. At its heart, Here Comes the River celebrates the remarkable possibilities of collective singing and the distinctive artistry of a new generation of Canadian choral musicians.
TRACKS
1. Alex Vollant: Auass 3:59
2. Luke Byrne: Foundling 5:23
3. Kathleen Skinner: Benediction 4:25
4. Katerina Gimon: Fire 1:45
5. Dolores Mary O’Riordan: No Need to Argue (arr. Allison Girvan) 3:24
6. Emile Deedes-Vincke: I Sit Before Flowers 4:52
7. Majel Connery: I am a Cloud (arr. Majel Connery and Doug Balliett) 4:20
8. Aurora Aksnes, Magnus Åserud Skylstad, Odd Martin Skålnes: Apple Tree (arr. Katerina Gimon) 3:00
9. John Pfumojena and traditional Zimbabwean: Wanyanya Kuterera/Tungamira (arr. Arnold Mukatari) 3:28
10. Veljo Tormis: Kanarbik 1:31
11. Merrill Garbus: Quizassa 3:35
12. Patrick Watson, Mikhail Stein, Joseph Grass, Jules Buckley: Here Comes the River (arr. George Chung) 5:11
Texts: Alex Vollant (1, in Innu); adapted by Luke Byrne from Grimm’s Fairy Tales (2); Kahlil Gibran (3); Dolores Mary O’Riordan (5); Shane Koyczan (6); Majel Connery (7); Aurora Aksnes, Magnus Åserud Skylstad, Odd Martin Skålnes (8); John Pfumojena and traditional (9, in Shona); Viivi Luik (10, in Estonian); Patrick Watson (12)
CREDITS
Vancouver Youth Choir
Carrie Tennant, conductor (all tracks except 9)
Caitlin Hayes, piano (tracks 2, 6, 12)
with Alex Vollant, solo voice (track 1)
and Mufaro Mukonoweshuro and Shane Makanda, soloists (track 9)
Producer: Joanna Dundas
Recording, editing, mixing and mastering: Piotr Wieczorek
Recorded at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC, June 28 and 29, 2026
Chan Centre Head Audio Recording Technician: James Perrella
Chan Centre Audio Technician: Lilith Charlet
Auass solo voice recorded in Redpath Hall, McGill University, Montréal QC, September 15, 2026
Recording engineer (Auass solo voice): James Clemens-Seely
Cover design: Erin Nicholson
Here Comes the River is available for pre-order from
TK532 © ℗ 2026 Vancouver Youth Choir
All rights reserved / Tous droits réservés
Release date: November 5, 2026
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Vancouver Youth Choir
Led by founder and artistic director Carrie Tennant, the Vancouver Youth Choir (VYC) has earned an international reputation for its adventurous approach to choral music, commissioning new works and collaborating with artists across musical genres. The ensemble’s repertoire moves between contemporary choral compositions, music from diverse traditions, and inventive arrangements of indie and alternative songs.
The choir has performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City, the World Symposium on Choral Music in Istanbul, and the Jeju International Choral Symposium in South Korea. In 2026, VYC won the Fleischmann International Trophy at Ireland’s Cork International Choral Festival, earning the highest score in the competition’s 71-year history.
Collaboration and the creation of new music are central to VYC’s artistic identity. The ensemble works closely with composers, arrangers, and solo artists, commissioning new Canadian works and bringing fresh perspectives to music beyond the traditional choral repertoire. Through the Vancouver Youth Choir Choral Series with Cypress Choral Music, and two additional series curated by Tennant for Hal Leonard and E.C. Schirmer, repertoire championed by VYC reaches choirs around the world.
Its debut album, Here Comes the River, features music by Canadian artists Alex Vollant, Katerina Gimon, Emile Deedes-Vincke, Kathleen Skinner, Patrick Watson, and others. Together, these works capture an ensemble equally comfortable with vulnerability and exuberance. Moving between tenderness, urgency, stillness, and joy, these young singers bring curiosity, honesty, and a distinctive musical voice to every piece. At its heart, Here Comes the River celebrates the remarkable possibilities of collective singing and the distinctive artistry of a new generation of Canadian choral musicians.
Carrie Tennant
Carrie Tennant is the founder and Artistic Director of the Vancouver Youth Choir (VYC), and has spent the past 25 years developing artistry and leadership with young singers. Under her direction, VYC has earned international recognition for its adventurous programming and expressive performances, including recent appearances at the World Symposium on Choral Music in Istanbul, Carnegie Hall in New York City, and symposiums and festivals in Korea, Switzerland and across Canada.
In 2026, VYC won the prestigious Fleischmann International Trophy at the Cork International Choral Festival in Ireland, where Carrie was also awarded the McCurtain and McSwiney Memorial Trophy for imaginative and artistic programming.
A former member of Canadian indie-pop band The Salteens (Boompa Records), Carrie brings a wide-ranging musical perspective to her work. She is the curator of three published choral series with Cypress Choral Music, Hal Leonard, and E.C. Schirmer, championing new Canadian music and innovative choral repertoire. Her honours include the 2023 YWCA Women of Distinction Award for Arts and Culture and the University of Victoria’s 2024 Alumni Achievement Award.
Caitlin Hayes
Caitlin Hayes’ diverse career as a pianist, music director and performer has taken her across Canada from Victoria to Halifax and points in between. She is currently on faculty at Capilano University in the Musical Theatre program, and is a busy freelance music director, with recent credits with the Arts Club Theatre Company and Gateway Theatre. She is a multiple Jessie Award nominee and Ovation! Award winner, and is in demand throughout the lower mainland as a collaborative pianist and theatre musician. Caitlin is thrilled to bring her extensive experience to the talented young musicians of VYC.
