Unison Choruses Canada is a national not-for-profit organization serving as a hub for Canadian 2SLGBTQIA+ choruses, fostering connections and providing essential resources for administration, fundraising, and programming. Your donation helps us support these vibrant communities and ensure their voices continue to be heard.
Festival Update – March 2026
March 26, 2026
Unison Festival Vancouver 2026: Music Healing Spirit
Bringing voices together in pride, community, and connection
As we head into spring, Unison Festival 2026 is now less than two months away! In this edition of the newsletter, you’ll find a mix of practical updates and highlights, including new tools for delegates, merchandise now available for pre-order, and a special guest announcement for the Opening Concert. We’re also continuing our Unison Voices series with two featured choirs from Ontario this month.
In this issue:
Your festival schedule in your pocket: the Integra Planner Schedule app
Special Guest Soloist Corey Payette to appear at Opening Concert
More Unison Voices: Rainbow Chorus of Waterloo Wellington (Guelph, Ontario)
Integra Marketplace now available for delegates
Delegates who can no longer attend the festival now have an easy way to offer their registration to others through the Integra Marketplace, which is now active within the Integra system.
The Marketplace is designed as a simple, delegate-to-delegate exchange. If your plans change and you are unable to attend, you can list your registration for sale. Other delegates who are looking for a spot can browse the Marketplace and contact sellers directly.
Payments are arranged between the buyer and seller. Listings are often offered at a small discount, which can help registrations find a new home quickly.
You’ll find the Marketplace on your personal Integra dashboard. Instructions for how to list or purchase an item are included in a help document within the system. The Marketplace is intended for registered delegates and is available now for anyone who wishes to use it.
Pre-order official Unison 2026 merchandise today!
Official Unison Festival 2026 merchandise is now available for pre-order by registered festival delegates. Designed in Vancouver and featuring the original Unison 2026 logo created by two-spirit artist Chase Gray, these items are a fun and practical way to celebrate the festival and remember your weekend of music and connection.
The collection includes:
A black cotton souvenir t-shirt with festival details on the back
A classic black snapback cap
A large festival clack fan – perfect for social events and sunny moments
Visit the merchandise page for product information, then pre-order items through the Unison Integra system.
Ordering in advance is the best way to make sure you get the items and sizes you want. A number of items will also be available for purchase on site during the festival, but only remaining stock will be offered and quantities may be limited.
➤ Click here for details including product materials and sizing.
Your festival schedule in your pocket: the Integra Planner Schedule app
Registered delegates now have an easy way to keep track of everything happening during Unison Festival 2026. The Integra Planner Schedule mobile app brings your personal festival schedule and key information together in one convenient place.
The festival organizing team has now updated the app with the latest event data. Once you log in, you’ll see your official personalized schedule, including your choir’s rehearsal times, performance slots, and other activities connected to your registration. The app also includes the full festival program, with listings of all concert events, participating choirs and ensembles, and even the individual songs being performed.
Another helpful feature is the ability to create your own favourites list and notes. You can mark concerts or activities you don’t want to miss and keep personal reminders in one place. For many delegates, this becomes the easiest way to plan each day of the festival.
The Integra Planner Schedule app is available free on both major mobile platforms:
iPhone and iPad: Search Integra Planner Schedule in the Apple App Store (requires iOS 11 or later)
Android devices: Search Integra Planner Schedule in the Google Play Store (requires Android 5 or later)
Your login information is the same as for the web version of the Unison Integra system. Once you sign in, your schedule will automatically load based on your registration details.
As a reminder, while the public Festival Schedule page provides a general overview of the program, your official personal festival calendar is available through the Integra system and app.
If you haven’t downloaded the app yet, this is a great time to get it set up so you’re ready to go when you arrive in Vancouver!
➤ Questions? registrar@unisonchoruses.ca
Special Guest Soloist Corey Payette to appear at Opening Concert
We’re pleased to share that Corey Payette will appear as Special Guest Soloist during the Opening Concert of Unison Festival 2026 on Friday evening, May 15 at Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre.
Corey Payette is an award-winning Two Spirit, gay interdisciplinary performer, writer, composer, and director of Anishinaabe and French-Canadian heritage. His work spans music, theatre, and film, and is widely recognized for bringing Indigenous perspectives and stories into contemporary performing arts spaces.
At Unison, singers from participating BC choirs will perform “Gimikwenden Ina (Do You Remember?)” from Payette’s acclaimed musical Children of God. The piece will serve as the finale of the Opening Concert, with Payette joining the combined choirs on stage as Special Guest Soloist – performing as soloist and drummer. The music builds from a reflective opening into a powerful, driving conclusion, creating a striking final moment as many voices come together on stage.
Children of God has been performed across Canada since its premiere in Vancouver in 2017 and is praised for its moving exploration of the intergenerational impacts of residential school experiences on Indigenous communities. Payette’s broader work continues to challenge expectations of what musical storytelling can be, combining music, theatre, and community collaboration.
It will be a special moment for the festival to welcome Corey Payette to the Opening Concert stage. As voices from across the province come together for the finale, his appearance will help bring the evening to a powerful close.
Payette lives in East Vancouver with his husband Marshall and their tuxedo cat, Mabel.
➤ More about Corey Payette: coreypayette.com
Important reminders for Artistic Directors & Choir Liaisons
A few reminders as the team continues to coordinate program, performance, and backstage logistics for rehearsals and concerts at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.
First, our Accessibility Coordinator is working to ensure that festival spaces are welcoming and workable for everyone taking part. If members of your chorus have accessibility needs that may affect rehearsals, staging, or backstage movement, please let us know so we can coordinate arrangements with the venue and the Choral Events team. ➤ accessibility@unisonchoruses.ca
We also ask Artistic Directors and Choir Liaisons to send a list of musicians who will be accompanying your group during your performance. This helps us plan stage logistics and set transitions. ➤ events@unisonchoruses.ca
Finally, please remember to submit your choir’s content and images for the festival program if you have not already done so. These materials help us prepare a complete and accurate program for audiences and delegates. ➤ marketing@unisonchoruses.ca
Please reply to the emails you will have received requesting this information.
Unison Voices: Tone Cluster (Ottawa, Ontario)
Tone Cluster has become a vibrant presence in Ottawa’s queer and choral communities. Known for its thoughtful programming and collaborative spirit, the ensemble brings singers and artists together to explore music that reflects queer stories, perspectives, and creativity.
At the heart of the organization is Tone Cluster – quite a queer choir, a 50-member auditioned mixed-voice ensemble that presents three concerts each year. The choir regularly performs contemporary choral works and arrangements while also commissioning and championing music by queer composers. Collaborations with multidisciplinary artists are a hallmark of its concerts, adding layers of theatre, storytelling, and visual art to the choral experience.
In recent years, the group has expanded with Queer Cadence, a non-auditioned choir created to welcome singers of all backgrounds and experience levels. The ensemble focuses on community engagement and grassroots performances, appearing in a wide range of settings including community events, outdoor pop-ups, and neighbourhood gatherings.
Artistic Director Deirdre Kellerman says that creating an affirming musical space remains central to the choirs’ work.
“We’re proud to offer a place where queer singers can pursue choral excellence while also feeling supported and seen,” says Deirdre. “There’s something powerful about performing music that reflects our own communities and experiences.”
For Deirdre, the deeper impact of choral singing lies in its ability to connect people. “When singers feel safe bringing their full selves into the room, the music becomes stronger,” she adds. “That shared energy carries through to the audience.”
➤ Learn more about Tone Cluster
More Unison Voices: Rainbow Chorus of Waterloo Wellington (Guelph, Ontario)
Community singing sits at the centre of the Rainbow Chorus of Waterloo Wellington, a 2SLGBTQIA+ chorus based in Guelph, Ontario. Drawing members from across the Waterloo–Wellington region, the choir offers a place where queer singers and allies gather to share music and celebrate pride through song.
What sets RCWW apart is that they are also a storytelling chorus. Members weave reflections from their lived experiences into performances, connecting personal narratives with the themes of the music they perform. These stories highlight the intersections of members’ identities and the resilience and joy found within their community.
RCWW is a non-auditioned choir where musical backgrounds vary widely. Some members arrive with years of choral experience, while others come mainly to connect with community and discover a love of singing. What unites them is a willingness to learn, sing in harmony, and support one another.
This welcoming approach reflects the chorus’s mission to foster appreciation for choral music while raising awareness of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities across the region. As a charitable, not-for-profit organization, the choir also works to keep participation accessible and reduce financial barriers whenever possible.
Since 2018, the choir has been led by Artistic Director Alison MacNeill, who previously served as the ensemble’s collaborative pianist for many years.
“Music has an incredible way of bringing people together,” Alison says. “Our goal is to create a space where singers feel supported, audiences feel connected, and everyone can share in the joy of making music.”
Beyond its own concerts, the chorus performs at Pride events and collaborates with ensembles including the Guelph Symphony Orchestra and the Guelph Chamber Choir.
➤ Read more about the Rainbow Chorus of Waterloo Wellington
Cheers!
Thank you for staying connected as we head into the final stretch before Unison Festival 2026. With just weeks to go, choirs across the country are preparing, and the excitement continues to build. Enjoy the longer days of early spring, keep singing, and we look forward to welcoming you to Vancouver very soon.
Register Today: If you haven’t registered yet, now’s a great time. Regular registration for delegates is available until the price goes up on May 1. ➤ Delegate info & registration
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