In 1998 a group of interested islanders decided to form the Galiano Concerts Committee, a registered society that would present a season of four or five musical concerts featuring both local and elsewhere talent. Among those involved with this formation were Ann Duncan and Elisabeth Bosher. Ann was a talented singing islander; Elisabeth, the recently retired Galiano School principal whose inspired directing of several student-performed musicals had garnered much praise.
Soon the name was changed to The Galiano Concert Society (GCS) and the society was receiving funding from provincial and federal agencies: the BC Touring Council, the BC Arts Council, the Canada Arts Presentation Fund. This support helped to keep ticket prices affordable and allowed GCS to pay for world-class musicians. The impresario (and bassoonist) George Zukerman assisted the GCS with connections to talent agents, to individual performers, and to the Piano Six association.
Thus, even during the GCS’s early years an amazing variety of musical talent came to the Community Hall stage—the internationally-known Quebecois pianist, Marc-André Hamelin; the Ontario fiddle group The April Verch Band; the BC-based classical instrumental group Borealis String Quartet; the singer/composer Todd Butler; the jazz group Marc Atkinson Trio—to name just a few. Local talent was included: the guitarist Brad Prevedoros; the vocal group Mother of Pearl. Early GCS board chairs Zona Macdonald and Gabi Farr introduced the practice of the Board providing a home cooked meal to the performers—a post-concert feast, an opportunity for Board members and performers to chat.
When Dana Weber became board chair in 2005, he developed a planning framework to ensure a balanced season of soloists, ensembles, and various instruments. Sheila Borman used her administrative skills when she became chair in 2012 and took on the increasingly complicated work of grant applications.
One of the directors, Sheila Midgley was particularly keen to increase concert attendance and worked with Borman on various initiatives to make that happen. The printed program guides were expanded. Roadside signboards appeared at Sturdies Bay and in front of the Hall. Sheila Midgley wrote a regular promotional column in the Active Page and began inviting local visual artists to display their work during concerts. Another director, Sher O’Hara, increased our presence on social media. By the time Sheila Midgley became Chair in 2015, these changes had increased attendance from an average turnout around 35 people, to typically 70 or 80, comfortably filling the Hall.
In 2017, a violinist who had performed on our stage four years earlier was negotiating for a return engagement. On learning that the current chair was leaving the role, Jasper Wood offered to work with GCS as the series programmer. As a professor of violin and chamber music at the UBC School of Music, and a first-rate performing violinist, Jasper used his many connections to select artists to perform in our concerts.
Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic brought a halt to seasonal programming with the last concert being Dehcho: A Musical Journey along the Mackenzie River, held in November 2020. In 2022-23, the CGS mounted a full season but faced further post-COVID challenges including reluctant audiences and budget shortfalls.
In March 2024, two new board members joined the GCS, Timothy Corlis and Hilary Jones adding some additional time and energy to the governance of the Society, leading to a fully funded 24-25 Season featuring Michael Kaeshammer, Tom Allen and Friends, sitar virtuoso Mohammed Assani, Persian singer Amir Haghighi, and Coast Salish Mezzo Soprano Marion Newman. Along with a dedicated slate of committed longstanding members, including Michael Baker, Joan Henriques, and Sher O’Hara, the continuation and health of the Society was ensured.