Our Rivers & Roots Run Deep
Malina explores our Doukhobor Roots with story, song and poetry.
We are the sister choir of The Songkeepers, and along with performing we explore our Doukhobor ancestry through poetry, folklore and song. This year’s committment is September -June. We’ll have a late winter performance, May festival (long weekend), wrapping with Choir Camp and a pilgrimmage retracing the diasporic journey visiting Veregin, Saskatchewan on Heritage Day, July 2027.
Committment is required for the year, however registration can be paid in two payments. Registration does not include travel and accommodations. Travel is optional.
There are songs singing in your bones.
The response to our choir has been a little breathtaking. What started as a non-audition choir exploring our ancestry through folklore and song has now grown to a group of friends who have led communities in song, performed sold-out shows, and appeared at community events like the 1000 Voices for Peace.
We are now opening registration for a new season, beginning September 21, Mondays at 6:30. Most of our practices are at Tarrys Hall. We will be haveing a few sessions that combine Malina with the Songkeepers.
Though we are still a non-audition choir, our confidence and musicality have been improving. It’s suggested that you can carry a tune and have a sense of rhythm. New songers will be requiring some home practice to catch up on some of our reppertoire.
Carrying on in the traditions of artists like Ma Muse and Alexandra Blakely, our shows get the whole audience participating. We strive to connect the community in the spirit of home and belonging.
We’re not a fancy choir. We sing folk songs, front-porch music, and shelling-peas music. We clap, and we stomp and we have a terrific time. Come help us weave a tapestry of belonging…
Please fill out this form. You will be notified with payment instructions if we have a spot for you. Limited spaces are available.
We often perform with our Sister Choir, the Songkeepers. We wil be alternating halls monthly for an “ALL CHOIR” practice. It is not necessary you make every session, however you will be asked to have a buddy take notes for you.
Russian Language
This season, 30 minutes of each session will be dedicated to singing in Russian. We’ll beging with a traditional prayer, and then we’ll be exploring some Russian folk music as well as some Doukhobor traditional music. You may chose to just listen, or to join in.
You do not need to speak or read Russian to participate in this choir. We will learn in the oral tradition.
The Sunday May Festival singing will be in Russian this year, and both the Songkeepers and Malina singers will have a choice if they wish to learn the three Russian songs.
Registration Includes
36 Practices, September through June
Solstice Ceremony
Tea
Choir Books
Performances
Tea
Practice Tracks
WhatsApp Community Chat
Ceremony and Choral Singing with The Sisters of Malina (May Long Weekend)
$580 + gst
Payment Plan:
Deposit to hold your spot: $100 +gst
Payment 1 before first session: $250 + gst
Payment 2: February 1: $250 + gst
Choir Camp: $40 June 30-July 4
Overnight spots. You can come for the day for free. Max. 40 overnights, first come, first served. FAQs
What if I’m not Doukhobor? Or maybe I’m just a small part Doukhobor. Can I still register for Malina?
First off, any part of your ancestry is a part of your story, and you can be curious about it! And if you don’t have any Doukhobour ancestry and have a curiosity to learn about a culture that plays a part in this place, you are welcome to join us!
Maybe you have Georgian, Ukrainian, Polish, Russian or other Eastern European ancestry. You might be surprised at how similar some of the singing, story and symbolism are. Perhaps you grew up in this area and are curious about this music and story.
You may be of Doukhobor background, Sons of Freedom, Independent, or not sure. We will be exploring the Doukhobor culture as a diaspora. There will be discussion of spiritual themes, yet you are not required to have a particular spiritual faith to participate.
We have had women from other backgrounds join us. While the majority of the sharing focused on Doukhobor stories, they shared about their ancestry and their firsthand experience being immigrants to this country.
Our singing and sharing together celebrate a shared sense of humanity and community. You are welcome, whoever you are.
Are scholarships available?
Maybe. Last season, we had grant funding that created scholarships for our sessions. This year, the grant writing team is busy trying to get more. Please reach out if you need any financial help, and hopefully, we may have some available before the next payment is due.
I don’t know my ancestry…
This too is ok. You will be an ancestor someday, and you can tell the story of this place now, along with the things that influence it: nature, culture, food, and music. You are invited to excavate stories of women and nature and determine what themes you would like to explore and what wisdom you would like to share. You can also add your voice to the choir to create something beautiful together, now.
Do I need to speak and understand Russian to sing in Malina?
We will be singing some Russian music, but we’ll also sing in other languages. No Russian experience is necessary. The Taghum Choir has also sung songs in other languages. We learn them by ear.
Do we only sing ancestral folk music?
No. Our repertoire is co-created. We also put together playlists and have song sheets of uplifting songs that explore some of the themes we discuss (the last choir LOVED river songs and found folk tales about women and rivers from around the world).
What if I am not a Singer?
You were born with an instrument: a voice. You may be out of practice! If you enjoy listening to music, you can sing. It is suggested that you can carry a basic melody and have some sense of timing, as we will be doing some body percussion. Returning members, even those gaining practice singing are warmly welcome to come back!
I don’t connect to my ancestry: I come from a “boring” culture or one I’m not particularly proud of.
This is also something that comes up in our group. Sharing stories and songs also shares our humanity. We can acknowledge the hard feelings we have about our pasts, and we can also claim the beautiful parts that we often discard when we have challenging feelings about who we are or where we are from.
We might discover something we love about our story or ourselves, and perhaps settle a part of our inner spirit, even imparting joy.
I don’t like singing solo. Will I have to?
No. You do not have to do anything you don’t want to. When we do circle sharing, you are welcome to say “pass”.