Inspire. Connect. Excel.
OUR Mission
The mission of VanCity Harmony is to create and foster a family of singers, empower individual and musical growth, and enrich the community through musical performance.
our History
The a cappella community in and around Vancouver has a new voice! Our four founders knew that there were a number of skilled singers in the Vancouver area who hadn’t found a local chorus that fit their goals and wanted to create a musical home where they could shine.
After a thrilling 2024 first season with 27 dedicated founding members, VanCity has our sights set on becoming a premiere performing ensemble in British Columbia. We have been taking on many exciting projects since our debut: studio recording for The Arts Club, a tour of Vancouver Island, our 3rd annual show, and more!
OUR MEMBERS
We are proud of the musical accomplishments of all of the members of VanCity Harmony, which include:
- 11 Educators, Coaches, and/or Clinicians
- 12 Musical Directors (current or former)
- 4 International Barbershop Quartet Champions
- 8 International Barbershop Chorus Champions
- 14 District and Regional Barbershop Champions
- 5 Contest Judges (Barbershop, ICCA)
- 27 members who sing in other ensembles!
SOPRANOS
Cindy Brown
Sofia DeRama
Mariee Devereux
Jacqueline Ip
Sandy Marron*
Jodine Morehouse
India Neville
Frances Purcell
Amy Rose
ALTOS
Melissa Alesse*
Renee Arendt
Leah Christian
Anna Chu
Elaine Cotton
Mindy Engelberg
Emma Gibson
Elsa Mansfield
Donya Metzger
TENORS
Russ Benson
David Cotton
Corey Dries
Philip Grant
Lisa Hood
Tim Marron
Mark Metzger*
Sean O’Brien
Donny Rose
BASSES
Jen Champagne
Mark Engelberg
Travis Gamble
Brian Hamm
Josh Honrud
Alvin Lau
Andry Layarda
Tom Metzger*
Sean Murch
Allen Upward
*Denotes section leader
our leadership team
Donny Rose
Artistic Director
Donny Rose is an influential clinician, adjudicator, and presenter whose leadership in music education spans more than four decades. Since the mid-1980s, he has been a featured voice at major conferences and events throughout the United States and internationally, including Canada, Finland, and England (ACDA, NAfME, ICCA and others). A retired high school music educator from the Seattle/Tacoma region, Donny is widely recognized for excellence in teaching and artistic leadership. His honors include Grammy In Our Schools, Conn-Selmer Music Teacher of Distinction, and District Teacher of the Year. Ensembles under his direction earned multiple Heritage Festival championships and repeated invitations to the elite Festival of Gold.
Beyond the classroom, Donny has built a multifaceted career as a professional musician, performing and recording as a trombonist, pianist, and vocalist in studios in Seattle, Nashville, and Bellingham. He has led high school, collegiate, and adult community ensembles, known for creating rehearsal environments marked by clarity, musical integrity, and humanity.
Donny spent seven years in Nashville with the Barbershop Harmony Society, where he helped revitalize national music education initiatives and later supported philanthropic work with Harmony Foundation, International. After returning to the Pacific Northwest, Donny quickly re-engaged in the local artistic community with a wide variety of mentoring, coaching, and performing roles. Donny co-founded VanCity Harmony in 2024, with collaborations including UBC, The Arts Club, and The Real Group (Sweden).
Donny lives in beautiful Bellingham, Washington, with his wife and favorite duet partner, Amy.
Donya Metzger
performance Director
Donya Metzger brings together voice, movement, performance, and presence work. She has a BFA in Dance from Simon Fraser University and is an Associate Teacher of Fitzmaurice Voicework®. As a Registered Clinical Counsellor and a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, Donya runs a private somatic therapy practice, Embodied Healing Therapy, in North Vancouver.
She has recorded learning media for 1000+ songs, written and arranged many original songs, created 100 YouTube warm-up videos, and produced an a cappella holiday album, Sister Grinch.
Donya has shared her teaching on authentic performance in many countries. She sings in Fandango quartet and with her husband and brothers in Metzin’ Around.
Philip Grant
Executive Director
Dr. Philip Grant is guided by a belief that music is a powerful public good, capable of creating moments of connection and joy that strengthen communities. His leadership emphasizes strong governance, audience-centric programming, and long-term organizational sustainability in service of meaningful artistic impact.
In addition to his executive role with VH, Philip serves on multiple boards and advisory groups within the arts and music education sectors, where he contributes to organizational governance, strategic planning, and sector-wide development at both the regional and national levels.
Philip is also an internationally active teacher, coach, and clinician in the barbershop and a cappella communities. He has served on faculty at Harmony University since 2017 and is a certified Barbershop Harmony Society judge. His work includes collaborations with ensembles affiliated with the Barbershop Harmony Society, Sweet Adelines International, and Harmony Incorporated, as well as with organizations within the Vancouver choral community, including The Arts Club and UBC A Cappella.
Amy Rose
communication Director
A level-10 extrovert, Amy Rose loves helping others communicate their organization’s mission and message effectively as a freelance Marketing professional and volunteer a cappella marketing consultant. In addition to traditional marketing, she is an accomplished presenter, emcee, panel host, and clinician. Amy is a life-long singer and 25+ year barbershopper, having participated in Sweet Adelines, Barbershop Harmony Society, and Harmony, Inc. as a staff member (BHS), competitor, coach, and faculty member.
Amy’s most recent a cappella highlights include becoming an International Chorus Champion with Lions Gate Chorus and co-founding VanCity Harmony in Vancouver, BC. She lives in Bellingham, WA with her husband and favorite coaching partner, Donny, and two frequently photographed cats.
