Ottawa’s unique activist choir, Just Voices, turns 20 with a concert on May 24

Twenty years ago in the spring of 2004—while some Ottawans were on Parliament Hill protesting the second Iraq War, and others were revving up for a federal election where Green candidates ran in every riding across Canada for the first time—a small band of activists formed a choir.

On June 3 of that year Charles Gordon wrote in the Ottawa Citizen, under the headline It’s Getting Easier to be Green, that “Political omens are everywhere. On Tuesday, a small choir sang on Sparks Street, the members of the choir all wearing bicycle helmets. They sang about the healthful benefits of not driving cars to work.”

The choir was called Just Voices and was the brainchild of Greg Furlong. With other cyclists who were passionate about climate change and bikes, he had formed a choir called Song Cycles in Toronto. He brought some of their songs and ideas to Ottawa, and within months the young choir was performing at the Rainbow Bistro (on the Iraq War anniversary), appearing at an Earth Day Eco-Fair and entertaining diners at the Ottawa Folk Festival.

“Singing with others is an activity that can help you share a voice with others in an intense way,” wrote Furlong in 2004. “Although it’s a choir, there’s no preaching. The perfect performance for this group is one where everyone – audience included – is energised and inspired.”

Furlong remained musical director until 2013; he passed away in 2022.

“We did a lot of protest gigs. Rain, snow or shine,” says Bridget Grounds, the current musical director and an early member. “To me, our involvement in community through protest or celebration has always been the highlight.”

The choir always had world music in its repertoire and has sung in many different languages, from Swahili to Georgian. One favourite was Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika, the anthem of the recently liberated South Africa. In 2008, the choir sang it at an ‘art in the park’ festival in the Glebe. A touring group of South African singers heard them and rushed up the hill to join in the song.

Twenty years strong, Just Voices still has some of its original members and is still focused on environmental and social justice. It has performed at over a hundred events, from Gil’s Hootenanny to Earth Day, International Women's Day, car-free and bike weeks, Indigenous friendship centres, human rights rallies, and many more.

Just Voices always welcomes new singers. It also warmly invites everyone to a 20th anniversary spring concert at 7 PM on May 24 at the First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa, 30 Cleary Ave. Special guest artist will be Tito Medina, a singer-songwriter and activist originally from Guatemala. Proceeds will support the Ottawa Food Bank. 

Admission is $20 or pay what you can. There will also be a silent auction and a singalong.  Tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite or at the door (cash only).  For more information, please visit:  www.facebook.com/JustVoices/ or www.justvoices.ca. 

To inquire about joining the choir and its weekly (Wednesday evening) practices, please contact [email protected] or connect through the Facebook page.

Eva Schacherl is an environmental and social justice advocate in Ottawa.