The Greater Victoria School District (SD61) established in 1979, Victoria Sings - a longstanding, non-competitive celebration of collective singing held biennially at the University of Victoria’s Farquhar Auditorium. This four-day festival brings together approximately 1,800 elementary, middle, and secondary students in a shared experience of music-making, community, and learning.

Each evening begins with all participants gathering in an Indigenous drumming circle to sing the Lək̓ʷəŋən Celebration Song, grounding the event in place-based relationships and cultural respect. Individual school choirs then share two selections, culminating in a massed choir performance that includes O Canada and a combined choral work—an embodiment of collective voice and shared purpose.

At PODIUM 2026, SD61 is honoured to share this unique model of music education, highlighting how students engage with Indigenous ways of knowing through respectful, community-based drumming practices. Guided by Nang guláa k'aldangaas Alana-Joy Parrish-Johnson (Haida), District Indigenous Drumming Teacher, students learn protocols, cultural context, and musical traditions that foster connection to local First Nations communities. This work reflects principles of learning and respect central to Coast Salish teachings, where song and drum are understood as living practices that carry meaning, responsibility, and relationship.

Victoria Sings operates as a non-profit initiative, sustained by a dedicated volunteer committee led by longtime coordinator Gail Evans. Together, they create a space where students not only perform, but also experience music as a vehicle for connection, cultural understanding, and community building.