Thank you to our generous 2009 sponsors

Reviews

We have had lots of wonderful emails from folks that attended the Courtenay show and we wanted to share some with you.

"A Standing Ovation in the first half? Unheard of!!!"

"Just a quick note to say how much we all enjoyed the show on Sat. night!  Tight harmonies on Bohemian Reality were a highlight, for sure, but I really did appreciate your own individual songs. Your personal energy was right up there and the rapport that the you, Judy and Helen had on stage was light-hearted and fun to take in. And the finale, "Feelin' Groovy", was clever and a super way to acknowledge the very capable instrumental support of the guys, Brad, Trent and Bruce."
Rhonda Burden

2007 Reviews

Comox Valley Record
By Paula Wild, Record Arts Writer Jan 17, 2007

Voices Three delivers with song & humour
Voices Three, featuring local singers/songwriters Sue Pyper, Helen Austin and Judy Brunet, performed at the Sid Williams Theatre on Jan. 13th. A nearly full house and an enthusiastic response from the audience after the first number set the tone for the evening.

Voices Three was the brainchild of Brit-born performers, Helen Austin and Sue Pyper. They wanted to showcase female songwriters in the Comox Valley and raise funds for the Comox Valley Hospice Society. They invited Judy Brunet to join them and proceeded to put together a concert that was musically entertaining and very funny.

The three women are all passionate about what they do and accomplished in their own fields. Austin, an award-winning performer, is considered one of the funniest comediennes on the UK comedy circuit. Pyper is an award-winning songwriter with a contagious sense of humour. And Brunet, who spent a good chunk of her life in Sointula, wrote the Sointula Centennial song, Islander, which is now sold as a fundraiser for the Sointula Museum.

The concert included many songs written by the three women. Themes explored setting down new roots, love gone awry, discovering personal power and watching children pass through rites of passage.

I had expected good music and was not disappointed. I had even expected a few laughs, but was totally unprepared for the volume of humour that pervaded the performance and the howls of laughter it generated.

As well as being musically talented, these women are very, very funny. Highlights included Austin’s song about the other side of childbirth, Pyper’s bathing suit blues and Brunet’s monologue on a very special relationship.

All were hilarious!

Accompanying the songstresses on stage was a backup band composed of Bruce Wing on guitar, Brad Hawkes on percussion and Trent Freemen on fiddle.

I have reviewed Freeman in the past and he just keeps getting better and better. Although he could have easily stolen the show, he modestly remained in the background.

Voices Three also contained a moving tribute to Comox Valley Hospice volunteer Wilma Blanchard who passed away late last year.

The organization is always in need of donations, volunteers and members. If you’d like to help out, contact them at 339-5533, or CVHS1@telus.net.

Brian Hazelbower - CHLY Nanaimo REVIEW

"...one of the more entertaining performances I've been to in years. "

"Admittedly I'm a fan of the performers I was going to see, I'm familiar with their music and have seen them perform individually. I was anticipating a concert that was, well... going to be special. The evening so eclipsed "special", I can honestly say it was one of the more entertaining performances I've been to in years.

Sue Pyper, Helen Austin and Judy Brunet are on this night "Voices Three". Each of these ladies is a talented musician and songwriter in their own right. Now together and backed by Bruce Wing on acoustic guitar and bass, Brad Hawks on percussion and Trent Freeman on fiddle and mandolin, it was like an evening at "Hogwarts" (lots of magic).

They started the evening with the song "One Voice" written by Ruth Moody of the Wailin' Jenny's. It's in that song where they got the name for the Voices Three concert. From that moment on, they had the almost capacity crowd of the Sid Williams Theatre in the palm of their hands. As an ensemble this group was tight and tasty. Trading off on leading songs and harmonies, each guiding the audience through contemplation, laughter and tears. The banter between songs was amusing and kept the attentive crowd laughing and applauding.

There were many highlights in this evening, from Judy's "Contessa" Monologue to a taste of Helen's risqué musical stand-up and Sue's dedicating the show and her song "Before You Learn to Fly" to the recently passed Wilma Blanchard. Wilma was a volunteer of the Comox Valley Hospice Society to which proceeds of this "Voices Three" concert are benefiting.

This was indeed an incredible evening and I hope for the sake of others that these gifted women will decide to perform this show again."

Brian Hazelbower

Voices Three hit a high note for CV Hospice
By Philip Round - Echo Staff

Three local women have raised their voices - and Comox Valley Hospice Society is better off by $3,000 as a result.

The trio - Sue Pyper, Helen Austin and Judy Brunet - got together to perform at the Sid Williams Theatre last Saturday.

It was the first time the women had blended their unique voices and humour together in performance.

And given the audience response, it is not expected to be the last.

Performing as 'Voices Three,' they appeared on stage to a virtual sell-out house.

Pyper told the Echo: "We were overwhelmed with the response. We could not have wished for a more fantastic and enthusiastic audience or such a great turnout."

And Austin added: "We worked hard to make the show a performance rather than just three women sitting singing songs.

We had a terrific band too - Bruce Wing, Brad Hawkes and Trent Freeman."

Brunet, who performed a monolgue as part of the show, commented: "We have still not come down from the high that we had from the energy in the theatre."

A highlight of the event was a risqué comedy song about childbirth from Austin, who recently won a UK award as comedy performer of the year.

Pyper, whose award-winning song 'Before you learn to fly' was dedicated to hospice volunteer Wilma Blanchard - who recently died - added: "I think a lot of people were expecting a more serious show considering it was for the hospice society, but laughter is the best medicine and we wanted it to be a fun night."

Terri Odeneal, executive director of the Comox Valley Hospice Society is clearly delighted at the outcome.

"We thought it was wonderful that these three talented women musicians came to us and offered to donate the profits of their show to the hospice," she said.

"They are not only donating, but have done all the organization themselves - that saved the hospice using vital resources and staff in the organizing of an event of this size."

The best concert I have been to in the Comox Valley
Brenda Johima - Performer

"It really was the best concert I have been to in the Comox Valley at the SID! It was wonderful to see, hear and feel, the calibre of the music just go up, in the Comox Valley, at your concert. You have set the bar high now, for others to jump over.

It truly was tremendous and superb and magnificent. Funny, extremely well laid out, as far as the flow from beginning to end, well balanced as far as how you took turns, and maintained audience interest throughout the evening, avoiding any chance of boredom, and you three are incredibly talented as individuals, and as far as the vocal blend of harmonies between the three of you, absolutely could not find a better match of three voices."

A great concert, for a great cause."