About the Gettin' Higher Choir
The Gettin’ Higher Choir seeks to embrace and celebrate humanity’s highest aspirations through music, welcoming people of all ages and backgrounds.
There is no audition, and no vocal experience is required, just a desire to sing in harmony with others.
Our aim is to re-integrate singing into the daily routines of life. We sing for the pure joy and pleasure it gives us, in an atmosphere that is fun, relaxed, and accepting. Our repertoire consists of both traditional and new songs from many cultures. The majority are sung a cappella (unaccompanied voices only) in 4-part harmony.
The choir, directed by Cathy Baker and Dick Jackson, has practice sessions on Tuesday evenings (in person and on Zoom), and all practices are recorded on Zoom for convenient review.
History
The GHC was founded in 1996 by Siobhan Robinsong, when a word-of-mouth startup at Victoria's Church of Truth brought out 40 singers. In 1999 she was joined in leadership by Denis Donnelly.
During the 2017–2018 choir year, Denis led the choir with Cathy and Dick, with Siobhan retiring from active leadership of the GHC.
Cathy and Dick have been co-directing the GHC since September 2018, with Denis now leading our sister choir, the Wavelengths Community Choir in Saanich.
Starting from the COVID-19 shutdown in March 2020, the choir sang together online for several seasons and produced fundraising concerts featuring "virtual choir" videos and guest artist appearances from around North America and the United Kingdom.
When we came together in person again in September 2022, we met upstairs at the Esquimalt Gorge Park Pavilion. In September 2024, we moved to Norway House, which, in 2026 was renamed Friendship Hall.
Cathy Baker
Cathy is a longtime community musician and one of the directors of Gettin’ Higher Choir. She grew up in a musical family and has been singing and playing ever since. Cathy loves the joy, connection, and sheer fun of bringing people together through song, and is passionate about creating welcoming spaces where everyone can find their voice.
She also helps nurture the next generation of community choir leaders through Community Choir Leadership Training. Cathy is a co-founder of Outside Voices, a walk-and-sing group that takes music out into the streets, parks, and community.
When she’s not singing, she’s likely gardening, exploring, or enjoying time with family and friends.
Dick Jackson
Dick brings energy, humour, and a lifelong love of music to Gettin’ Higher Choir, where he is one of the choir directors. A natural collaborator and enthusiastic musical guide, Dick enjoys making rehearsals lively, relaxed, and full of discovery. He has a knack for helping singers try something new while keeping the focus on the fun of making music together.
Whether he’s shaping a harmony, sharing a story, or encouraging the whole room to sing a little louder, Dick brings warmth and personality to the mix. He loves the spontaneity of community singing—and the wonderful sounds that can emerge when everyone joins in.
He has also been the Music Director of the Capital Unitarian Universalist Congregation since 2009.
